The Vanpire
Full Moon.
A heavy blanket of smog covers the ground, enveloping the old manor in a cold grey mist. Darkness had settled upon their world, people fearing to venture forth in the night, afraid of what lurked in the shadows. Alas, even the bright light of the moon brought no comfort, almost like a beacon to Death's door.
The trees hung still in the windless dark, crowded amongst one another like dark sentinels. A single dirt road stretched between their grasping fingers. Yet they bent in submission, in fear, at the shadow that moved along that road. The high collar of the billowing black cape hid the figures haunted, pale face.
His destination finally came into view, its prosperity apparent even from this distance. He stood, a dark smile played across his pale lips, the moonlight stretching his shadow menacingly towards the manor. A silhouette against the cold white pearl.
He seemed to hunch slightly as two enormous wings burst forth in a shower of feathers. Thrusting them outward, the figure took a step forward, leaping from the knoll he stood upon into the cold air, wings spread.
……thud!
"Damnit!"
The figure rose from the dirt, shaking himself off disdainfully. With a running start, he leaped into the air, his wings pumping madly, trying to get airborne.
Thud!
"Accursed spooky windless nights!"
Bouncing the rest of the way, trying to gain altitude, the figure proceeded to the manor, not at all as dramatically as he had hoped. Reaching the front of the manor, he wiped his sweaty brow in exhaustion as he trudged around the house until he found the window marked with a "Virgin Rescue!" sticker. He smiled in satisfaction and immediately began searching for the door.
Realizing in complete exasperation that the window was three stories up.
"Of course…" he muttered, grabbing onto the ivy that blanketed the house and slowly making his way upward.
Hoisting himself over onto the balcony, he leaned against the railing, gasping for air. After a minute, he finally sucked it up, hoping his prey had not heard, and slid stealthily into the well-marked virgin's room.
Vampires, the undead, are one with the night. They dwell within the shadows, moving as shades across the plane of mortals, unsuspected, unknown, absolutely silent—
CRASH!
His large wings had ever so gracefully knocked a vase off the nightstand. He let his hands drop to his sides, his eyes rolling in exasperation once more. He silently cursed the gods; Fate was not with him tonight.
The young maiden sat up like a bolt in her bed, alarmed. Her eyes scanned the room in terror, trying desperately to find the danger her heart screamed lurked in her room. A cloud flittered away from the moon to reveal the broken vase, the very one her grandmother had given her before her death a few months prior.
"Just my imagination," she sighed, relaxing, despite the fact that the doors to the balcony stood wide open.
"Or so you think, Yukari Uchida." A seductive voice rasped from the shadows beside her bed.
"Who's there!?" Yukari demanded, sitting up once more, her features a mixture of fury and fear.
"It is I!"
"Who's 'I'?" Yukari replied flatly, slightly annoyed, her guard going down once more. The shade stepped into the moonlight, playing across his pale features like a living nightmare.
"Gasp! Van, the vampire!" Yukari shrieked, grabbing the closest thing she could for defense, this being the pillow.
"Count Van Slanzar de Fanel the vampire, thank you very much!" he barked. Quickly regaining his mien of dignity, he tossed to the side with a flourish, revealing his well-dressed lanky form as the cape slowly drifted behind him. "Do not resist me!"
"Never!" Yukari cried, smacking him with her fluffy down pillow.
Van simply sighed, yanked it out of her hands and tossed it aside. "Oh please…"
Vampires' lust for blood could only be sated by using their hypnotizing mind games on their weak, chosen victims. Prying into the deepest of human desires, they call out to the human soul in wild passion, igniting human lust…
"Yukari, you want to…come with me…" he tried, waving his hand about in a "seductive" manner.
"No!" she threw her porcelain doll at his head.
"Hey!" he cried, ducking. He grabbed her wrist tightly so she could not attack him, and sat upon her pink frilly bed, one hand caressing her cheek gently.
"Listen Yukari…I bring you the gift of my kiss. Bound as one, you and I shall be, ruling the night sky for coming ages, nay, eternity!"
"…No…" Yukari pleaded weakly.
Van grit his teeth, stroking her face a little more roughly. "Yukari…I've dreamed about you," he growled through his teeth, "you are so beautiful and…and…oh hell! I'm hungry!"
SNAP!
Yukari's head rolled lifelessly to the side, her pupils dilated and her head lolling at an awkward angle.
"Oops…sorry…" he said to the lifeless body apologetically. He normally did not kill them like that, but tonight…well…he had had it. Well, no sense in wasting it.
Bending over the body, Van kissed the eyelids, trailing his fingers down her neck softly. His eyes hardened in sudden longing of what had been denied him too long.
His lips parting slowly, he kissed the soft skin under her jaw, trailing his lips down to the warm scent of blood.
His wings spread over him as he granted her the Vampire's kiss….
However, uh, without the immortality, of course.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ -- fangs!
Throwing open the door a young woman ran out of the house, her basket swinging gently beside her. Scanning the grounds of the estate with her emerald eyes a smile spread across her face, enjoying the gay sunshine that reached its fingers to each plant giving it life.
"Mother! I'm going to see Yukari!" Hitomi shouted back towards the house while tucking her hair behind her ears. Turning around, her pastel dress trailing behind her in the wind, which now arrived, she raced in a un-lady like fashion towards her best friends house.
As she made her way down the familiar road letting her eyes scanned the friendly surroundings. Sunlight stretched through the branches that covered the road, a road that they dared not venture down during night.
"Is that Hitomi?"
Turning around Hitomi saw her old friend Amano waving and swiftly making his way towards her. Smiling she stood waiting, straightening out her skirts slightly. A few years ago she too had had a crush on Amano however had given up her childhood fantasies, finally growing up.
Besides, he was Yukari's fiancée. You all know where are going with this.
"I have not seen it this sunny in so long, it simply is intoxicating!" exclaimed Hitomi, smiling up at Amano when he finally caught up.
Smiling dashingly, he looked down at the girl he considered almost like a little sister. "Simply divine. I had to take a break from studies and come outside and try and convince Yukari to take a breath of fresh air. Shall we go together then?"
"I would be honored," she replied gaily accepting his arm that he offered her.
The two chatted gaily about the weather and the latest gossip that had been happening in their quaint little town.
"You don't say that Mrs. Robinson meant to put the cat out and put out the dog instead?" laughed Hitomi, patting his arm affectionately and wiping away the tears of mirth.
"Tis the truth! And it was a wolf-hound at that!" They both laughed gaily in appreciation.
Finally they rounded the bend towards Yukari's house to find many of the town's men outside the house looking forlorn. Hitomi felt as though an ice cube had slipped down into her stomach sending a cold sensation throughout her body. Tightening her grip on Amano's arm, who looked equally apprehensive, they quickly made their way towards the house.
"What trouble lurks here?" questioned Amano jutting his chin towards the house. The old man looked up at Amano with clear pity and sadness in his eyes, his old features hunched forward in defeat.
"The young mistress was found dead this morning," wheezed Dornkirk while he fiddled with his beard.
"No…!" whispered Hitomi dropping her basket, her eyes widening as her arm dropped away from Amano. Feeling as though she was trapped in a nightmare Hitomi pushed her legs forward to get a glimpse of her best friend. No! This had to be some sort of cruel joke! Yukari, dead!?
Never!
She pushed through the crowd gathered at the bottom of the grand staircase. She let out a cry and turned away from the horrid sight.
Yukari lay on the Persian rug, her arms and legs spread out in a grotesque fashion, her head turned almost completely backwards. But it was her face that would haunt Hitomi for the remainder of her life. The eyes were wide and staring, her mouth opened wide in eternal silent scream of absolute TERROR.
"We found her like that this morning," Yukari's father sighed sadly, placing a comforting hand on Hitomi's shoulder. Hitomi's hand flew to her mouth trying to stifle the gasp from escaping her lips. Slowly her knees gave way as she bent beside her friend.
"Yukari," whimpered Hitomi tears springing in her lively, but now crestfallen, emerald orbs. Reaching a shaky hand out Hitomi stroked Yukari's pale, cold face. The other members of the town looked at the forlorn friend and exited the house to let her have a moment of peace with her best friends body.
"How stupid of you Yukari, to die like this! How could you leave me behind!" cried Hitomi, tears rushing down her cheeks and falling to the carpet. Arching a brow, she noticed blood staining the carpet. Narrowing her eyes and turning her head to the side she noticed two puncture wounds slightly below Yukari's chin.
"A vampire…!" gasped Hitomi as she noticed a train of blood leading towards Yukari's nightgown collar. Hesitantly she reached forward and gingerly pulled back the collar to find a name carved crudely into her flesh, a name that inspired fear in all who laid eyes upon it.
VAN.
Her fists clenching in determination that justice must be served, Hitomi quickly pulled herself up and ran out the door past the shouts of worry of the town folk.
"Blast these skirts!" cursed Hitomi bending down and ripping her dress away above her knees. However, she still had her hoops so it really made no difference.
About twenty minutes later on a usually five minute trip, walking, Hitomi made her way to the outskirts of town. A lone shack defiant to the wind; a structure that radiated truth and justice.
From above the door a crooked sign swung faintly, it's fading letters saying, "Ye local Vampire Hunter."
She knocked on the door that promptly fell in at her touch, an obvious sign of its destitution. Peering inside, she saw her supposed hero.
A tall man with long cascading blond tresses sat in a broken chair in the center of the shack, slowly unrolling a worn parchment. Hitomi stared in horror, as the parchment was unrolled to reveal a painting of a woman, revealing, of all things unholy, her elbows and knees!
"How crude!" Hitomi exclaimed.
The man whirled in his seat in surprise, and Hitomi wished suddenly that she had not torn her skirts as his eyes roamed hungrily to her knees.
"Excuse me," she said flatly, warning lining her voice.
"Yes?" grinned the blond, not taking his eyes away from her milky white knees.
"I have a problem…"
"Oh, don't worry, Allen'll make it all better…" he began, rising to his feet.
"How dare you speak to me in such a fashion! I find your manner of actions vulgar, Mr. Allen!"
"Just Allen."
"I came in search for help, as my friend has been horribly murdered by a vampire and you just…!"
"Job—I mean, Vampire!" Allen exclaimed excitedly, grabbing his spectacles and rolls of parchments from off his desk. "Lead the way, fair lady!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- puncture marks!
Allen stooped over the mangled form of Yukari, his brows furrowed in concentration. With a sigh he lifted himself to his feet looking at Hitomi with pity in his eyes.
"You are right, it is the work of a vampire," he whispered dramatically.
"A vampire!" gasped Hitomi as though this was new information to her. "What vampire could have done such a horrible thing!" she cried, burying her face in her fragile hands.
"Probably the local vampire," muttered Allen scanning the surrounding for clues.
"Local vampire!" Hitomi paused, confusion playing across her delicate face. "Who's that?"
"I don't know," shrugged Allen. Reaching down to Yukari's collar and pulling down a little too far for Hitomi's tastes, he glanced up at Hitomi over his spectacles. "Maybe this has something to do with it….!!" He said gesturing to the crudely written VAN on Yukari's virgin flesh.
"My friend!" sobbed Hitomi, falling to the ground again and stroking Yukari's hair. "What shall we do?"
"The vampire will return, seeking to satisfy his hunger with virgin blood!"
"Oh no!"
"Yes." Allen replied gravely, nodding his head. "He may very well come after you, Lady Hitomi. You must protect yourself from his evil!"
"What shall I do?" Hitomi inquired, determined.
"First, collect some celery and spread it about your room, it will keep him at bay. Then mark your walls with the Zaibach swastika, it bugs him. If he still pursues you, throw some energists at his feet, he will have to gather them before he can take you. If all else fails, do this." He instructed, crossing his index fingers in front of himself.
"That will stop him?"
"No, but sometimes they stop to laugh at you for it so, it gives you about a second head start."
After listening intently to Allen's plan of somehow capture a vampire with no harm to himself, Hitomi quickly began to head home.
She noticed with dread as she entered the house the sun, a ghastly blood red, sinking rapidly below the horizon.
Da-da-DUN.
+++++++++++++++++++ -- crosses!
5/1/2003: Happy New Year! We've decided to reward (reward, punish, same thing… ^_^) everyone with a parody of vampire-goodness. Yay! Numair and Anne have troubles breathing while writing these things… we think that we have more fun writing them then you do reading them. Ahhh well, high source of entertainment for ourselves!
We are thinking this might be a two-parter unless people want more (cause we can think of more, you lucky people you). We are no experts in the field of vampires and are just basing it off stereotypes and such; it's just for fun. :) So review or face the wrath of Van's kiss!!! *shakes fist*
Disclaimer: We do not own anything (i.e. Escaflowne or any vampire stories), so please do not sue us (we have no money).