Disclaimer: I do not own the chicken nugget that used to be across from me
on the table. I ate it anyway. Oh yeah, I also do not own Vampire Hunter D.
And my personal favorites: I do not own the sun. I do not own the moon. I
do not own the earth. And lastly. . . I do not own McDonald's.
***
D's cloak billowed out like the dark sail of death's ship. Hoof beats thudded loudly into the forest's majestic air. The trees here were thousands of years old, and yet they radiated a powerful scent of pine and resin, indicating the surge of life still embedded into the grand trunks. With a sudden jerk of the reins, the cyber-horse slid to an abrupt stop.
D tilted his head to the disappearing stars. He closed his empty eyes and once more breathed in the intoxicating aroma of the wood. There it was again, a trickle of something in the air, something that did not belong. D started to guide the horse's head in the opposite direction but stopped when his eyes strayed to the path. His prey's tracks almost glowed in the fading moonlight. They taunted him to follow.
"D?" inquired Left. "I thought we had a mission to complete. You almost killed us at the beginning of it, so I had naively assumed that we would finish it."
"I will." The voice was smooth and so soft, it was nearly a whisper. D wondered to himself why Left worried so much. Left knew as well as he did that this horse could travel twice as fast as the vampire ahead of him. He could catch up. He turned the horse.
"You know, they say curiosity killed the cat." Left said.
"I am not a cat." D replied simply. And with that last statement, his lithe and rather feline-like form urged the horse to soar once more, down the way they had come.
*** She struggled through the underbrush, like a rabid wolf. Her hunting skills were not as exceptional as she would like them to be. For one, she was tearing through limbs, bushes, and vines and marking a clear path for anyone to follow. And for another, they would hear the cursing, foliage- exploding wonder, before seeing her trail, even if she were being followed while kicking her way through hell's own garden.
"Aw, shit." She voiced aloud as her bag caught on a dead tree branch and ripped. The contents fell upon the ground, taunting her to scream. She clenched her teeth and gathered all of her items. Where the hell was she supposed to put them? Shit.
She took off her threadbare windbreaker and managed to tie all her stuff inside with the sleeves. After making sure her possessions were secure, she slung the makeshift bag across her chest. She sniffed at the air once more; she was getting close. She could make out a faint tinge of blood now.
She took a step to the left. On her second step, her foot caught upon a tree root. She was sure the tree had moved it there, because it sure as hell wasn't there before. She spat out crumpled leaves as she lifted her aching body from the ground.
It was then when she caught sight of the road.
Thank God. Relief swept through her. This hunt would not take much longer. She would be able to finish her kill, very, *very* soon. She rearranged the jacket-bag with new confidence.
A misaimed kick at the tree root almost sent her sprawling again, but she kept her balance with as much dignity that was left in her. This forest was evil. There was no other reasonable explanation. And this goddamned forest was taking a heavy toll on her temper and energy. The exhaustion only aggravated her irritation.
She stepped hesitantly on the path. Hoof marks littered the dusty surface. She knelt, her eyes searching for any hint, any clue. She closed her eyes and inhaled the world around her.
Metal and horse, her mind first identified. Then. . . make that metal rusted with powerful horse sweat stench.
The odor of horse covered up any other scent, except for the unpleasant stink of human.
She scrutinized every footprint. She studied them so hard, that at first, she ignored the dull sound coming her way. When her mind finally registered the noise, her head snapped up.
The crunch of gravel ended ten feet away from her.
Her whole posture changed, from a raging madwoman with twigs in her ragged hair to a pitiful looking young girl who had strayed too far from home with twigs in her ragged hair. Her eyes shone with tears, and one trickled down her muddied cheek. Her arms rose out to him as though waiting for an embrace, and her fingers stretched to him desperate as a person deprived of water, denied from life.
A weak, wavering voice escaped her pale lips. "Why did you leave me?"
The question was directed to a young man. His breathing was uneven, his eyes held a mixture of compassion and fear. He barely had the strength to stand upon the ground.
Inwardly, she fairly admired his courage. After all, it wasn't everyday that the prey searched for the hunter. Another lonesome tear sparkled down the other cheek.
"You-," he coughed wildly, blood splattering his outstretched hands, "you're a-" His body made a violent spasm, and his life seeped out of him in the form of a dark red liquid.
She started to run toward him, worry and concern alighted upon her innocent features.
"No!" he spluttered. "Stay back!" he warned between a coughing fit. His shaking hands drew something from his red-stained belt.
She stopped, both in movement and charade. Her face relaxed into a half- snarl and half-daring smile.
"You think you can stop me with *that*, boy?" Her voice was now a low hiss.
He blinked at her sudden change in manner. His hands trembled as he held up the gun, aimed straight for her head, less than three yards away. His finger tightened almost threateningly.
There was a long silent pause. An eternity passed them by. She visibly relaxed and almost laughed. This was too easy. She continued her silence as she prepared herself for her attack. She closed her eyes against the immediate danger. She wiped her mind clean of all worries and thoughts, they did not matter anymore. When she reopened her eyes, a flicker of red hungrily coiled within her brown pupils. Enchantments always came easier for her than most of her kind. She felt her throat ache with a bitter cold that thrashed fiercely, frantic to escape the prison of her mouth. She allowed her lips to part, carefully and tenderly. A wisp of a force unseen slipped from its cage of tongue and teeth. The weapon was unleashed.
His hoarse breathing had been the only sound until...
"Slowly, gently"
The beginnings to a clear song flew from her. It echoed hauntingly throughout the "evil" woods. She let her soul escape into the melody and released her memories into the words. Give me darkness that I seek. Give me a sanctuary from the intense light of day. Give me peace. Let me rest. Wash all thoughts away into the lyrics. Let me rest in the darkness, alone.
"Night unfurls its splendor. . .
Grasp it, sense it-
tremulous and tender. . .
Turn your face away
from the garish light of day,
turn your thoughts away
from cold unfeeling light-
and listen to
the music of the night. . ."
His hand lowered slightly, and his mouth went slack as he gasped in surprise. The music dove straight into him; it was as though she could see into all the deeds of his life and melted it all away into the music. And her eyes, her eyes never left his; they filled his entire field of vision, his entire being.
"Close your eyes
and surrender to your
darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts
of the life you knew before!
Close your eyes,
let your spirit
start to soar!
And you'll live as you've never lived before. . ."
He was entranced by her voice, and all his thoughts were upon her. He only desired to listen to that voice forever, to be lulled into this unreality, to feel this for eternity. His senses were too busy captivated by this angel of music to notice that she was beside him, lowering his gun, and taking him within her cold embrace. He closed his eyes against the illusionary light that radiated from her. He could almost feel the feathers of her wings.
"Angel." He gasped. He was losing the boundaries of truth and desire. He needed to escape this world, he fled all reason, all the earth, and felt sheltered by the glory of this angel's presence. Let her never leave. Let her never let go.
"Softly, deftly,
music shall surround you. . .
Feel it, hear it,
closing in around you. . .
Open up your mind,
let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness which
you know you cannot fight-
the darkness of
the music of the night. . ."
She lightly pulled aside the shirt collar of this mesmerized man. She traced the two scars marking him as her own, and she smiled at the memory of their last meeting. She had not completed the ritual correctly. She had jerked her head up accidentally during the crucial moment, leaving long gashes instead of two neat punctures. The interruption had cost him most of the blood left in his body. He was trapped between the human state and becoming a vampire. He was dying.
Her teeth had already elongated while singing. She dived into him, his neck, his warmth, his sweet, sweet essence. All he had to offer was now hers. His life was hers. She took all of him and left nothing in him to survive. She dropped his empty body at her feet. The swirling crimson in her eyes faded back to plain brown. Her teeth returned to human form.
She felt the familiar feeling of disgust fill her immediately. Filthy, that's what they were. The life of a human rested in her stomach. The sins of his soul were now burdened unto her. The revulsion dizzied her. The blood of a human polluted her body and contaminated her soul. It blurred her thoughts. All that was left in her mind was the need to rid herself of the infection inside her. She had to get it out.
She collapsed on her knees and retched all over the lifeless form. Her hate forced the liquid to gag the substance back upon its recent owner. This happened every time she took blood from a human. Her mind would not allow it to remain in her body and corrupt it with its impurity. She closed her eyes, but still heard it splatter noisily upon the dry ground. Her cheeks smeared and lips stained, she heaved, spluttered, and coughed. Damn the human. Damn them all.
The sun rose. Sunlight glistened the blood that jeweled her uneven hair. Sunlight flashed upon the substance still oozing from her mouth. Sunlight lit the once gray path.
When all the contents of her stomach left her, she lowered her forehead to rest against the sticky earth. She was so tired, so sick of it all. She felt the horse's hoof beats vibrate on the ground. She swallowed down her fatigue and lifted her head slowly, challengingly.
The gold light did not penetrate the darkness of the horse's rider.
Shit. It's a human.
(The song she sang was from the Phantom of the Opera)
***Review for the Reviewers***
Dimitrov says hi.
Well actually, he said, "Where the [censored] is the [censored] meat grinder??? Hey! Did you happen to see the- YOU GOT REVIEWS!?!? Amazing. They must have high endurance levels to be able to put up with you. Like me. Oh- have you seen the meat grinder? He's bleeding all over the carpet, and I needed to grind his-" you guys get the drift. He has the attention span of a gnat when dealing with things that doesn't involve blood or cheesecake.
*ANYWAYS*. . .
*Ashley Sinstar: Yes, you were right about the insanity thing. I fixed it, sort of.
*Saranii: I would love some pictures!
*Kitala: You not only sent me ONE review but TWO!!!! I'm astonished and delighted that you think I'm weird. I was trying very hard to come up with an idea not used yet.
THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!!!! I shall inform Dimitrov not to visit you with a meat grinder. . . speaking of which. . .
I need to go now. Judging from the screaming coming from my basement, Dimitrov has obviously found the meat grinder, and most likely leaving a horrendous mess on the carpet- which I get to clean up. Now he has stopped screaming. If he's dead, that means he stops bleeding right? No pumping of blood...right? The stains are so hard to get out. [Loud crashing noise] Oh shi-
[End Transmission]
D's cloak billowed out like the dark sail of death's ship. Hoof beats thudded loudly into the forest's majestic air. The trees here were thousands of years old, and yet they radiated a powerful scent of pine and resin, indicating the surge of life still embedded into the grand trunks. With a sudden jerk of the reins, the cyber-horse slid to an abrupt stop.
D tilted his head to the disappearing stars. He closed his empty eyes and once more breathed in the intoxicating aroma of the wood. There it was again, a trickle of something in the air, something that did not belong. D started to guide the horse's head in the opposite direction but stopped when his eyes strayed to the path. His prey's tracks almost glowed in the fading moonlight. They taunted him to follow.
"D?" inquired Left. "I thought we had a mission to complete. You almost killed us at the beginning of it, so I had naively assumed that we would finish it."
"I will." The voice was smooth and so soft, it was nearly a whisper. D wondered to himself why Left worried so much. Left knew as well as he did that this horse could travel twice as fast as the vampire ahead of him. He could catch up. He turned the horse.
"You know, they say curiosity killed the cat." Left said.
"I am not a cat." D replied simply. And with that last statement, his lithe and rather feline-like form urged the horse to soar once more, down the way they had come.
*** She struggled through the underbrush, like a rabid wolf. Her hunting skills were not as exceptional as she would like them to be. For one, she was tearing through limbs, bushes, and vines and marking a clear path for anyone to follow. And for another, they would hear the cursing, foliage- exploding wonder, before seeing her trail, even if she were being followed while kicking her way through hell's own garden.
"Aw, shit." She voiced aloud as her bag caught on a dead tree branch and ripped. The contents fell upon the ground, taunting her to scream. She clenched her teeth and gathered all of her items. Where the hell was she supposed to put them? Shit.
She took off her threadbare windbreaker and managed to tie all her stuff inside with the sleeves. After making sure her possessions were secure, she slung the makeshift bag across her chest. She sniffed at the air once more; she was getting close. She could make out a faint tinge of blood now.
She took a step to the left. On her second step, her foot caught upon a tree root. She was sure the tree had moved it there, because it sure as hell wasn't there before. She spat out crumpled leaves as she lifted her aching body from the ground.
It was then when she caught sight of the road.
Thank God. Relief swept through her. This hunt would not take much longer. She would be able to finish her kill, very, *very* soon. She rearranged the jacket-bag with new confidence.
A misaimed kick at the tree root almost sent her sprawling again, but she kept her balance with as much dignity that was left in her. This forest was evil. There was no other reasonable explanation. And this goddamned forest was taking a heavy toll on her temper and energy. The exhaustion only aggravated her irritation.
She stepped hesitantly on the path. Hoof marks littered the dusty surface. She knelt, her eyes searching for any hint, any clue. She closed her eyes and inhaled the world around her.
Metal and horse, her mind first identified. Then. . . make that metal rusted with powerful horse sweat stench.
The odor of horse covered up any other scent, except for the unpleasant stink of human.
She scrutinized every footprint. She studied them so hard, that at first, she ignored the dull sound coming her way. When her mind finally registered the noise, her head snapped up.
The crunch of gravel ended ten feet away from her.
Her whole posture changed, from a raging madwoman with twigs in her ragged hair to a pitiful looking young girl who had strayed too far from home with twigs in her ragged hair. Her eyes shone with tears, and one trickled down her muddied cheek. Her arms rose out to him as though waiting for an embrace, and her fingers stretched to him desperate as a person deprived of water, denied from life.
A weak, wavering voice escaped her pale lips. "Why did you leave me?"
The question was directed to a young man. His breathing was uneven, his eyes held a mixture of compassion and fear. He barely had the strength to stand upon the ground.
Inwardly, she fairly admired his courage. After all, it wasn't everyday that the prey searched for the hunter. Another lonesome tear sparkled down the other cheek.
"You-," he coughed wildly, blood splattering his outstretched hands, "you're a-" His body made a violent spasm, and his life seeped out of him in the form of a dark red liquid.
She started to run toward him, worry and concern alighted upon her innocent features.
"No!" he spluttered. "Stay back!" he warned between a coughing fit. His shaking hands drew something from his red-stained belt.
She stopped, both in movement and charade. Her face relaxed into a half- snarl and half-daring smile.
"You think you can stop me with *that*, boy?" Her voice was now a low hiss.
He blinked at her sudden change in manner. His hands trembled as he held up the gun, aimed straight for her head, less than three yards away. His finger tightened almost threateningly.
There was a long silent pause. An eternity passed them by. She visibly relaxed and almost laughed. This was too easy. She continued her silence as she prepared herself for her attack. She closed her eyes against the immediate danger. She wiped her mind clean of all worries and thoughts, they did not matter anymore. When she reopened her eyes, a flicker of red hungrily coiled within her brown pupils. Enchantments always came easier for her than most of her kind. She felt her throat ache with a bitter cold that thrashed fiercely, frantic to escape the prison of her mouth. She allowed her lips to part, carefully and tenderly. A wisp of a force unseen slipped from its cage of tongue and teeth. The weapon was unleashed.
His hoarse breathing had been the only sound until...
"Slowly, gently"
The beginnings to a clear song flew from her. It echoed hauntingly throughout the "evil" woods. She let her soul escape into the melody and released her memories into the words. Give me darkness that I seek. Give me a sanctuary from the intense light of day. Give me peace. Let me rest. Wash all thoughts away into the lyrics. Let me rest in the darkness, alone.
"Night unfurls its splendor. . .
Grasp it, sense it-
tremulous and tender. . .
Turn your face away
from the garish light of day,
turn your thoughts away
from cold unfeeling light-
and listen to
the music of the night. . ."
His hand lowered slightly, and his mouth went slack as he gasped in surprise. The music dove straight into him; it was as though she could see into all the deeds of his life and melted it all away into the music. And her eyes, her eyes never left his; they filled his entire field of vision, his entire being.
"Close your eyes
and surrender to your
darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts
of the life you knew before!
Close your eyes,
let your spirit
start to soar!
And you'll live as you've never lived before. . ."
He was entranced by her voice, and all his thoughts were upon her. He only desired to listen to that voice forever, to be lulled into this unreality, to feel this for eternity. His senses were too busy captivated by this angel of music to notice that she was beside him, lowering his gun, and taking him within her cold embrace. He closed his eyes against the illusionary light that radiated from her. He could almost feel the feathers of her wings.
"Angel." He gasped. He was losing the boundaries of truth and desire. He needed to escape this world, he fled all reason, all the earth, and felt sheltered by the glory of this angel's presence. Let her never leave. Let her never let go.
"Softly, deftly,
music shall surround you. . .
Feel it, hear it,
closing in around you. . .
Open up your mind,
let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness which
you know you cannot fight-
the darkness of
the music of the night. . ."
She lightly pulled aside the shirt collar of this mesmerized man. She traced the two scars marking him as her own, and she smiled at the memory of their last meeting. She had not completed the ritual correctly. She had jerked her head up accidentally during the crucial moment, leaving long gashes instead of two neat punctures. The interruption had cost him most of the blood left in his body. He was trapped between the human state and becoming a vampire. He was dying.
Her teeth had already elongated while singing. She dived into him, his neck, his warmth, his sweet, sweet essence. All he had to offer was now hers. His life was hers. She took all of him and left nothing in him to survive. She dropped his empty body at her feet. The swirling crimson in her eyes faded back to plain brown. Her teeth returned to human form.
She felt the familiar feeling of disgust fill her immediately. Filthy, that's what they were. The life of a human rested in her stomach. The sins of his soul were now burdened unto her. The revulsion dizzied her. The blood of a human polluted her body and contaminated her soul. It blurred her thoughts. All that was left in her mind was the need to rid herself of the infection inside her. She had to get it out.
She collapsed on her knees and retched all over the lifeless form. Her hate forced the liquid to gag the substance back upon its recent owner. This happened every time she took blood from a human. Her mind would not allow it to remain in her body and corrupt it with its impurity. She closed her eyes, but still heard it splatter noisily upon the dry ground. Her cheeks smeared and lips stained, she heaved, spluttered, and coughed. Damn the human. Damn them all.
The sun rose. Sunlight glistened the blood that jeweled her uneven hair. Sunlight flashed upon the substance still oozing from her mouth. Sunlight lit the once gray path.
When all the contents of her stomach left her, she lowered her forehead to rest against the sticky earth. She was so tired, so sick of it all. She felt the horse's hoof beats vibrate on the ground. She swallowed down her fatigue and lifted her head slowly, challengingly.
The gold light did not penetrate the darkness of the horse's rider.
Shit. It's a human.
(The song she sang was from the Phantom of the Opera)
***Review for the Reviewers***
Dimitrov says hi.
Well actually, he said, "Where the [censored] is the [censored] meat grinder??? Hey! Did you happen to see the- YOU GOT REVIEWS!?!? Amazing. They must have high endurance levels to be able to put up with you. Like me. Oh- have you seen the meat grinder? He's bleeding all over the carpet, and I needed to grind his-" you guys get the drift. He has the attention span of a gnat when dealing with things that doesn't involve blood or cheesecake.
*ANYWAYS*. . .
*Ashley Sinstar: Yes, you were right about the insanity thing. I fixed it, sort of.
*Saranii: I would love some pictures!
*Kitala: You not only sent me ONE review but TWO!!!! I'm astonished and delighted that you think I'm weird. I was trying very hard to come up with an idea not used yet.
THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!!!! I shall inform Dimitrov not to visit you with a meat grinder. . . speaking of which. . .
I need to go now. Judging from the screaming coming from my basement, Dimitrov has obviously found the meat grinder, and most likely leaving a horrendous mess on the carpet- which I get to clean up. Now he has stopped screaming. If he's dead, that means he stops bleeding right? No pumping of blood...right? The stains are so hard to get out. [Loud crashing noise] Oh shi-
[End Transmission]