Thanx for all the great reviews! I'm not sure if to truly become a vampire you have to drink the vampire's blood as well, but for the purposes of this story, if you don't, you are a vampire but still have your soul.
Light.
Slowly, Allena's sight came back, and she regained consciousness.
She wondered where she was. Then memory came back to her, and she realized she should be in the dungeons of Castle Frankenstein. But... she wasn't.
Or, at least, it didn't look like it, from what her groggy vision told her.
It was nighttime, and she was lying in a field of grass, surrounded by flowers. She sneezed, being allergic to the pollen.
Slowly, she attempted to pull herself up to a sitting position. This was not an easy task, as almost every bone and muscle in her body ached, and it felt like her limbs were made of lead. There were bruises on her arms and legs, but she had no idea how they had gotten there. She felt her cheek; there was a deep slash running down the side, caked with dry blood.
Now as she sat, she could also feel a pounding in her head: a horrible headache. Groaning, she lifted her hand to feel the back of her head, and there, sure enough, was a large bump.
Allena sighed and let her hand fall, caressing the soft grass with her fingertips.
She did not know why, or how... but... somehow, she felt different. Not because of the wounds or muscle pains, but she no longer felt like herself. Allena couldn't pinpoint what was wrong...
Then she remembered.
Her hand flew up to her neck. She felt the two holes in her skin.
Her breathing became hard and labored. She was a vampire. Allena could not believe it. But if she was a vampire, then why...
She hadn't bitten Dracula. She knew, somehow, that she hadn't. And since she hadn't bitten Dracula... that meant she was...
Free. She was free. Allena hurriedly stood up, wobbling on one leg before she got her balance. Wherever Dracula was, he would be coming back for her soon. Wherever she was.
Allena looked around. The only thing that looked familiar to her were the mountains to the east.
She knew she would have to get away, but how? She had no horse... but she was a vampire.
Allena tried to concentrate all her energies on transforming. She had absolutely no idea how to do it, but she'd seen the other vampires do it.
She tried and tried, but remained human. Maybe she wasn't a vampire after all. Maybe she just didn't have any blood left, and was some sort of walking zombie...
She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. Dracula would find her soon. No matter how fast she ran, he would find her. Damn him, she thought, I hate him, that evil, vile creature...
Suddenly Allena felt very strange. Her skin felt as though it was beginning to crawl, moving of its own accord... And suddenly she felt a strange prickling sensation on her lower lip. Opening her mouth, she reached up – and her finger touched a long, pointed eyetooth.
She shivered. Suddenly she realized her clothes were materializing into her skin... and her back felt strangely contorted, as if...
Allena turned around.
And saw the wings.
That was all the proof she needed. She would not waste any more time. Flapping her wings to test them first, she pushed off of the ground and flew into the night.
The wind was cold, bitter, and strangely refreshing to Allena. She silently glided over the mountains, and now could recognize her hometown. But no, she could not go back, else Dracula should find her and destroy her neighbors and friends. She had no family left... he had killed them all.
On and on she flew... for how many hours, she did not know... she just hoped she was far away from Dracula when she landed in a city street a fair distance away from where she'd started.
It was still night, obviously, and Allena had a feeling that, though she still had her soul, her vampire half would not permit her to survive in sunlight.
"Mademoiselle!"
Allena quickly turned around to see who had spoken. A short, bald man wearing a bright colored vest was standing outside a huge, dark building, obviously closing up for the night.
"Mademoiselle," he repeated, "It ees not safe to be out zis late at night! Where ees your home?"
Allena looked down at her feet. She had transformed back into a human when she landed, she realized. But she had no idea how to tell this man where she had come from.
"Uh... I - well, I..." she stammered.
The man put his hand up to his ear. "What?"
Allena sighed, and decided to tell him the truth – well, some of the truth.
"I am lost, sir," she said. "I have been traveling, and I'm not sure where I am..."
The man looked surprised. Then Allena realized she must be somewhere in France, judging by his accent and her surroundings. She also realized it must be very peculiar to have a Transylvanian just show up on your doorstep this late at night...
"You are in Bordeaux, mademoiselle," said the man, his brow creasing. "Where do you come from?"
"Transylvania, but..." Allena hesitated. The thought that had been trying to surface had finally succeeded. She could not go back to Transylvania, at least not while Dracula was still there. "I - well, I've left Transylvania... for a long time, I think," she told the man.
"Do you have anywhere to stay?" he asked, concern now filling his features.
Allena shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to find somewhere to stay."
The man paused, appearing to be thinking. "Can you sing?" he said suddenly.
"Um..." Allena stuttered, taken by surprise at the question, "Well, yes, but I've never been formally trained, just here and there –"
"Sing for me."
Allena stared at him in disbelief. "Now?"
The man nodded.
Allena shrugged and tried to think of what to sing. An old song that her parents used to sing to her when she was a child came to mind.
She began to sing:
"When you find yourself looking up at the horizon
Know this: someone is waiting for you.
When you achieve the impossible in your dreams
Know this: someone is watching over you.
When –"
"Bravo!"
The man stopped her in mid-song, his mood considerably happier than before. "You would be perfect for my opera! Would you conzider a job as a chorus zinger, madame?"
Allena paused to weigh her choices. If she said no, she would have to find somewhere else to stay. The opera house, which was apparently what the man was closing up, looked dismal and gloomy at first, but then, she was a vampire, and needed the dark. On the other hand, if she worked for this man, obviously the owner of the opera house, she wouldn't be able to leave, to find her friends. She would have to start a new life.
Sighing, Allena knew she had but one choice: the opportunity had come, and she would have to take it.
"I would be honored, monsieur," she said to the man, attempting to smile.
The man's face brightened as he motioned her inside.
She stepped up beside him, smiled, and walked inside. Hearing the door close behind her, and the click of many locks, she looked at her new surroundings and gasped.
Unlike the dismal outside of the opera house, the inside was glittery and colorful. Marble statues lined the entryway, leading to a wide staircase in the center of the entrance hall. Made entirely of marble, the staircase itself was mesmerizing. It was grand and elegant, seeming to glow softly in the dim light that was cast by the many torches glittering in their brackets.
"You'll have to excuze the lack of light," said the man, stepping up beside her. "We are trying to save electricity."
"This is marvelous," Allena murmured in awe.
"What eez your name, child?" asked the man curiously.
"Allena Rictarius," said Allena.
"Aaah, a lovely name," said the man. "I am Monsieur Fazier Le Velaer, the owner and manager of my opera house." He waved his arm, indicating the whole opera house.
"I am honored to meet you," said Allena.
Velaer smiled. "Come, we must get you into bed," he said, checking his pocket watch. "I will show you to your room."
He began to walk across the vast, empty room to the staircase. Short though he was, he was quite fast. Allena walked quickly to catch up with him.
As they were on their way to her room, Velaer began to talk about everything around every corner.
"... yes, that is an ancient replica of a painting from Ancient Rome ..."
"... but these halls were built long before I came here ..."
Allena had been trying to mentally navigate her way from the entrance hall to her room, but gave up after the fourth hallway and second staircase.
Finally, Velaer turned left and opened a door.
"Ah, I believe this one is empty," he said, and escorted her inside.
Allena found herself feeling very foolish. She had absolutely nothing, no possessions... nothing aside from the clothes she wore.
"We will find you a suitable wardrobe in the morning, mademoiselle," he said, as if he'd read her mind. "Good night."
He shut the door, and Allena suddenly found that she was not tired at all, but... thirsty.
Thirsty for blood.