I opened my eyes slowly. Black spots dotted my vision. Several times I
blinked, and my sight was clear. The room was pitch-black, but I could see
clearly. Wherever I was, I did not recognize it. I was lying on a bed.
Looking around the room, I saw nothing but a chair in the corner, and a
small table beside it.
Closing my eyes, I tried to remember what had happened. I saw images: the face of a beautiful girl; a shadowy forest, devoid of any light; a crimson mouth baring two fangs. The sensation of floating peacefully entered my mind. Yet no memories. I could not even remember who I was.
I began to search for a way out of the bedroom. Gently I got off the bed and stepped onto the floor, ignoring the pain in my stiff muscles. Over on the table sat a candle, and matches. Despite not even knowing my own name, I was happy to learn I remembered how to light a candle. Holding up the candlestick, I searched for a door.
The steady flame reflected off a piece of glass in the corner of my eye. I walked closer to it, and discovered it was a mirror. Looking into it, I studied my reflection. My skin was white-pale, and transparent in the looking glass; my disheveled black hair was a cloud of smoke; my eyes were the darkest shade of green, like cloudy emeralds. A scar decorated my forehead, like a bolt of lightening. With my finger I traced its jagged outline. The face I looked into was my own, but I did not recognize it.
"You're awake," a familiar voice purred, her voice full of pleasure. Startled, I turned around, and found a woman. At once, I remembered the name "Thekla", and that her mouth housed the pair of fangs I remembered.
"Thekla?" I said aloud. The woman nodded. "Why have you brought me here?" She looked amused at my question.
"You don't remember?" she asked. I shook my head. "Do you remember anything?"
"I can't even remember my name." The woman smiled icily and I tried very hard not to look afraid of her.
"Your name is Harry Potter," she replied. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but brought back no memories.
"Harry Potter," I repeated, trying to get used to saying the words. "Where am I?"
"My home." Thekla went to the window and pulled away the black curtains. I stepped over to the window and looked out.
We were high above the ground, looking onto a vast city. All the structures were made of black marble, illuminated in ruby-red light, giving the city an eerie glow. A pearly moon hung in the coal black sky.
"Welcome to El Infierno," Thekla said, waving her hand around. "The vampire city."
"Vampires?" I repeated. The image of fangs in a scarlet mouth entered my mind again. "You are a vampire?"
She laughed. "You are a vampire, too. I turned you into one."
I was puzzled. A wave of dizziness hit me, and dark spots began to appear in my vision again. "I don't understand," I told Thekla angrily, blinking rapidly.
Her expression reminded me of one a mother would wear, although I could not quite remember what a mother was. "I am your sire, Harry. Your bloodmother. I will teach you how to be a vampire." She smiled brightly. "It will all become clear once you feed."
"Feed?" I replied blankly. A memory flooded my aching head; Thekla grinning coldly at me in the dark forest, her teeth lengthening, and then her piercing my throat with them. She had killed me.
Shocked, I looked up at Thekla. She wanted me to do what she did to me. I could not possibly kill a human!
"You'll get over that soon enough," the vampires assured me.
"Over what?"
"Killing humans." Suddenly the room disappeared, and I was on a city street corner. My stomach jumped in fear as I was unexpectedly alone in a crowd of people. A strong hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards her. Thekla raised an eyebrow at me, and began to walk down the crowded street. I followed her, feeling out of place in this city of evil.
She stopped just in front of a small café called El Café de la Sangre. She grabbed the door and opened it, motioning for me to go in. My skin crawled as I stepped in. The room was lit with large candles, casting tall shadows on the wall. The café was noisy, filled with vampires. The smell of blood was strong in the room, and I felt giddy as I sniffed the sweet scent. But that sensation didn't last long. My stomach dropped in surprise when I saw that the corner of the room was a cage, not holding animals, but human. Thekla led me to an empty table near the prison cell. A waiter approached us.
"Order what you want, Harry, it's all free," Thekla explained. I was appalled; I could just order a human and drink them dry? It seemed disgusting. The scent of fear in that place was strong, and it made me feel strangely blissful. I was too hungry not to eat.
"Do you want to share something, Harry?" I didn't answer. She sighed. "That one," Thekla told the waiter, pointing to a little boy in the corner of the chamber. The busboy went to the cell he was in and unlocked in, pulling the child out. The boy screamed and cried. Thekla rolled her eyes. "Shh", I heard her whisper to the boy. Then she bit into him, and the child's cries stopped.
I watched in disgust. From the boy's neck, Thekla looked up at me. ~Well?~ she asked. ~Would you like some?~
The sound of her voice surprised me, but I answered back, ~I don't know. It feels wrong.~
Annoyed, Thekla pulled away from the boy, passing me his limp body. "Drink, Harry," she ordered, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. I held him for a second, questioning whether or not I should do this. But in the end, hunger won. My gums tingled pleasantly as my teeth lengthened. I bit into the little boy.
I felt as if I'd been pulled into a scarlet wave, and I was lost in the taste. It was so hot and thick, that I could not imagine why I had been hesitant before. My head cleared, and I felt my victim's life flow into me as his ended.
But I was satisfied by more than the taste. There was the power. This little boy's life was in my hands. I could drink him dry and kill him, or have mercy on his soul. Some part of me urged to let him live. Nevertheless, I thought it would be sort of fun if I killed him. Once he was dry, I dropped him on the floor. I just wanted to laugh over this little boy's corpse.
"Well?" Thekla asked, giving me a knowing smile and handing me a napkin. I wiped the blood of my face, smiling happily.
"Can I order another?" I inquired. She nodded, and I called the waiter over.
* * *
The first few weeks after I was changed were extremely pleasant. Thekla and I feasted away on humans. Occasionally we went to the cafés, but most of the time we went to London or New York. She taught me how to hunt in the mortal clubs, how to use my powers to control the human mind. I would've been content to do that for the rest of my life.
But then I began to remember. All I could remember is the face that appeared in my head when I awoke. Every day, as I slept, I saw her face in my head the entire night. Then more images flowed into my head. Sometimes in my dreams, she was a gawky little girl. Other times, she was beautiful and sophisticated. In my head I heard her cultured accent and the firm note of determination in her voice. At the start, I thought she was a dream. But soon I realized she was a girl from my past. A beautiful girl I slowly became obsessed with.
Even when I was awake, her face filled my mind. I became obsessed with the mystery girl in of my dreams. When I went hunting with Thekla, I would pick out a girl, and in her mind pretend she was The Girl. No one ever tasted how I imagined she would, though. I needed the real thing.
My dreams revealed more about her: her name was Hermione Granger; she was fifteen years old; she was a student at Hogwarts. Now that I knew that, I could find her. The night I awoke from that dream, I vowed to meet her and become her sire.
Closing my eyes, I tried to remember what had happened. I saw images: the face of a beautiful girl; a shadowy forest, devoid of any light; a crimson mouth baring two fangs. The sensation of floating peacefully entered my mind. Yet no memories. I could not even remember who I was.
I began to search for a way out of the bedroom. Gently I got off the bed and stepped onto the floor, ignoring the pain in my stiff muscles. Over on the table sat a candle, and matches. Despite not even knowing my own name, I was happy to learn I remembered how to light a candle. Holding up the candlestick, I searched for a door.
The steady flame reflected off a piece of glass in the corner of my eye. I walked closer to it, and discovered it was a mirror. Looking into it, I studied my reflection. My skin was white-pale, and transparent in the looking glass; my disheveled black hair was a cloud of smoke; my eyes were the darkest shade of green, like cloudy emeralds. A scar decorated my forehead, like a bolt of lightening. With my finger I traced its jagged outline. The face I looked into was my own, but I did not recognize it.
"You're awake," a familiar voice purred, her voice full of pleasure. Startled, I turned around, and found a woman. At once, I remembered the name "Thekla", and that her mouth housed the pair of fangs I remembered.
"Thekla?" I said aloud. The woman nodded. "Why have you brought me here?" She looked amused at my question.
"You don't remember?" she asked. I shook my head. "Do you remember anything?"
"I can't even remember my name." The woman smiled icily and I tried very hard not to look afraid of her.
"Your name is Harry Potter," she replied. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but brought back no memories.
"Harry Potter," I repeated, trying to get used to saying the words. "Where am I?"
"My home." Thekla went to the window and pulled away the black curtains. I stepped over to the window and looked out.
We were high above the ground, looking onto a vast city. All the structures were made of black marble, illuminated in ruby-red light, giving the city an eerie glow. A pearly moon hung in the coal black sky.
"Welcome to El Infierno," Thekla said, waving her hand around. "The vampire city."
"Vampires?" I repeated. The image of fangs in a scarlet mouth entered my mind again. "You are a vampire?"
She laughed. "You are a vampire, too. I turned you into one."
I was puzzled. A wave of dizziness hit me, and dark spots began to appear in my vision again. "I don't understand," I told Thekla angrily, blinking rapidly.
Her expression reminded me of one a mother would wear, although I could not quite remember what a mother was. "I am your sire, Harry. Your bloodmother. I will teach you how to be a vampire." She smiled brightly. "It will all become clear once you feed."
"Feed?" I replied blankly. A memory flooded my aching head; Thekla grinning coldly at me in the dark forest, her teeth lengthening, and then her piercing my throat with them. She had killed me.
Shocked, I looked up at Thekla. She wanted me to do what she did to me. I could not possibly kill a human!
"You'll get over that soon enough," the vampires assured me.
"Over what?"
"Killing humans." Suddenly the room disappeared, and I was on a city street corner. My stomach jumped in fear as I was unexpectedly alone in a crowd of people. A strong hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards her. Thekla raised an eyebrow at me, and began to walk down the crowded street. I followed her, feeling out of place in this city of evil.
She stopped just in front of a small café called El Café de la Sangre. She grabbed the door and opened it, motioning for me to go in. My skin crawled as I stepped in. The room was lit with large candles, casting tall shadows on the wall. The café was noisy, filled with vampires. The smell of blood was strong in the room, and I felt giddy as I sniffed the sweet scent. But that sensation didn't last long. My stomach dropped in surprise when I saw that the corner of the room was a cage, not holding animals, but human. Thekla led me to an empty table near the prison cell. A waiter approached us.
"Order what you want, Harry, it's all free," Thekla explained. I was appalled; I could just order a human and drink them dry? It seemed disgusting. The scent of fear in that place was strong, and it made me feel strangely blissful. I was too hungry not to eat.
"Do you want to share something, Harry?" I didn't answer. She sighed. "That one," Thekla told the waiter, pointing to a little boy in the corner of the chamber. The busboy went to the cell he was in and unlocked in, pulling the child out. The boy screamed and cried. Thekla rolled her eyes. "Shh", I heard her whisper to the boy. Then she bit into him, and the child's cries stopped.
I watched in disgust. From the boy's neck, Thekla looked up at me. ~Well?~ she asked. ~Would you like some?~
The sound of her voice surprised me, but I answered back, ~I don't know. It feels wrong.~
Annoyed, Thekla pulled away from the boy, passing me his limp body. "Drink, Harry," she ordered, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. I held him for a second, questioning whether or not I should do this. But in the end, hunger won. My gums tingled pleasantly as my teeth lengthened. I bit into the little boy.
I felt as if I'd been pulled into a scarlet wave, and I was lost in the taste. It was so hot and thick, that I could not imagine why I had been hesitant before. My head cleared, and I felt my victim's life flow into me as his ended.
But I was satisfied by more than the taste. There was the power. This little boy's life was in my hands. I could drink him dry and kill him, or have mercy on his soul. Some part of me urged to let him live. Nevertheless, I thought it would be sort of fun if I killed him. Once he was dry, I dropped him on the floor. I just wanted to laugh over this little boy's corpse.
"Well?" Thekla asked, giving me a knowing smile and handing me a napkin. I wiped the blood of my face, smiling happily.
"Can I order another?" I inquired. She nodded, and I called the waiter over.
* * *
The first few weeks after I was changed were extremely pleasant. Thekla and I feasted away on humans. Occasionally we went to the cafés, but most of the time we went to London or New York. She taught me how to hunt in the mortal clubs, how to use my powers to control the human mind. I would've been content to do that for the rest of my life.
But then I began to remember. All I could remember is the face that appeared in my head when I awoke. Every day, as I slept, I saw her face in my head the entire night. Then more images flowed into my head. Sometimes in my dreams, she was a gawky little girl. Other times, she was beautiful and sophisticated. In my head I heard her cultured accent and the firm note of determination in her voice. At the start, I thought she was a dream. But soon I realized she was a girl from my past. A beautiful girl I slowly became obsessed with.
Even when I was awake, her face filled my mind. I became obsessed with the mystery girl in of my dreams. When I went hunting with Thekla, I would pick out a girl, and in her mind pretend she was The Girl. No one ever tasted how I imagined she would, though. I needed the real thing.
My dreams revealed more about her: her name was Hermione Granger; she was fifteen years old; she was a student at Hogwarts. Now that I knew that, I could find her. The night I awoke from that dream, I vowed to meet her and become her sire.