New Beginnings and Old Fears

Disclaimer: If they were mine? Do you really think the musical would have ended the way it did? Roman Polanski's.

With a start Alfred sat upright. What had happened? He was lying in a soft, big bed and although the room around him was dark, he could see everything with a clarity that made it seem like he was in broad daylight.

Slowly the memories began to return to him. He had been dancing at the ball. First with Herbert en then with Sarah. After that there had been so much pain and in a reflex he reached for his neck. His fingers touched two little holes but instead of the blood he had expected to feel, there was only dry, soft skin.

He looked down at himself and noticed that he wasn't wearing the frockcoat anymore, somebody had removed it, together with his shoes and cravat. He assumed that it had been the same person as the one who had washed his neck and laid him in this room.

He watched the chamber with more interest now. It was big, like all the rooms in the castle. The furniture looked old but not infrequently used, there wasn't a lot of dust and the sheets smelled clean. It surprised him that he noticed something like that, before it kicked in that he was a vampire now. If the Professor was right his senses would be at least ten times as good as before.

He let himself fall back into the pillows and sighed. He couldn't change the fact that he was a creature of darkness now, but the thought that it had been Sarah who had done it… Tears welled up in his eyes but he swallowed them away. It wouldn't do to start crying now. It wouldn't bring him any further. Logic. Desperately he tried to hold on to that one word that represented his old life, his human life.

It was only than that he noticed the room was dark, curtains were blocking every little bit of light that could possibly come from the windows. But an instinct inside him alerted him to the fact that it was night and that, even if the curtains weren't closed, there was no danger.

Still a bit insecure he threw his legs over the side of the bed and placed his feet on the ground. The tiles that once had seemed cold had a pleasantly normal temperature now. For the first time since waking up a soft smile lit up his boyish features.

A bit more certain now he stood up with a grace that he had never before possessed. It was only now that he noticed how thirsty he was, his throat was dry and his stomach craved blood. Blood, the thought didn't repulse him like it used to, it attracted him now. He needed it, needed it like nothing before in his life.

Softly he walked to the door and carefully pushed it open. The corridor was dark, only one or two candles on the walls lighted his path but this also wasn't a problem. If it wasn't for the thirst Alfred would have marvelled at all this new abilities but he was only driven forward by his desperate desire to feed.

A shadow moved over the walls just behind a corner and the young vampire crept closer. He caught sight of a hint of red fabric and rushed forward. As soon as he saw who the other person was he staggered back again. His back hit a wall and he shivered uncontrollably.

"Alfred?" Sarah's soft voice sounded wrong to his ears, cruel and emotionless, "Oh Alfred! I thought I killed you…" she started talking but the student cut in with a painful expression on his face.

"You did." He softly replied, still shaking, "You murdered me." It seemed to Sarah that he was trying to crawl back into the wall in fear.

"But don't you see… it's better this way." She stepped closer with an outstretched hand and smiled as reassuring as she could. This only caused Alfred to shiver more violently and tears formed in his blue eyes.

"Please… please… don't hurt me. Don't… I…"

"What is it Alfred?" Again she stepped closer and the first teardrops ran down his cheeks.

"I loved you. All I did was love you and you did this to me… you damned me for loving you."

This caused the young woman to stop and look at him questioningly. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry." Her apology was heartfelt but Alfred ran, not able to be close to her, scared of everything she was capable of.

He ran, first until he couldn't see her anymore, than until she was out of earshot and until he finally lost his way.

That was when the delicious smell of blood found it's way into his nostrils. It was sweeter as anything he'd smelled before, almost godly in its perfection. And he was unable to resist the magnetic pull it had on him. When he came closer he could hear a heart beating inside a ribcage, it was pumping the glorious blood around with soft, steady beats. He licked his lips and attacked.

His fangs tore open the dry flesh of his victim, leaving the veins open to poor the blood into his mouth. Even the wonderful smell couldn't have prepared him for the taste of the warm red liquid on his tongue. Flowing down his throat and easing the thirst for a while. It was sweet and bitter at the same time, the metallic aftertaste was just as good and for a moment Alfred couldn't imagine ever having eaten something else, or ever wanting to. That was until he noticed whose lifeless body it was that he was now holding in his arms. With a gasp he dropped it to the floor.

"Pr- Professor."

The body of his mentor was broken, laying on the floor like a ragdoll with his skin pale and wrinkled. The only piece of contrast was the huge red stain on his neck. The last drops of blood were rolling down the old man's skin, tormenting the young vampire with eyes as big as teacups.

Slowly he brought a finger to his own mouth where the same blood coloured his face too. "Professor." The student had to lean against a wall to regain himself but instead he sank to the floor and started crying uncontrollably.

He had killed Professor Abronsius, the man who had been like a father to him for as long as he could remember. The man who believed that by becoming a vampire your soul was lost forever. He cried for his mentor and his own innocence that had now been lost completely. He had killed another human, a living, breathing creature. And he had done it just because he couldn't control himself. Thick tears rolled over his cheeks and he buried his face in his hands while his whole body shook with sobs. He hadn't wanted to kill the Professor. Never!

After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes, he felt strong arms wrap themselves around his body and he was pulled against a broad, definitely not female, chest. Someone stroked his hair and made calming noises, shushing him softly and tenderly.

"It's okay, mon cherie, it's all okay. I'm here now. Don't cry, it wasn't your fault." The person, who Alfred by now had identified as Herbert, rocked him back and forth.

"But… but it… it was." He hiccupped trough his tears, "I was… was the one who… who bit him…"

"You're a young vampire. These things happen."

"But they shouldn't… it's not… not fair!" Alfred tried to free himself from the embrace but the count's son didn't let him go.

"Calm down. I know it isn't fair, no one said it would be."

"I don't want to live like this!"

The student didn't notice how Herbert held him even closer at those words. "Please don't say such things. I couldn't bare to lose you." He held the boy close to him until he had calmed down and then helped him to stand up. "I'll take you back to your room. Dawn is almost breaking and you need your sleep. I will make sure that the Professor wakes up in a safe place, he will be fine."

"He will be a vampire!"

"But he will be fine. I promise." He emphasized the last two words and with that he slowly guided the student back to his room.

"Good day mon cherie. Sweet dreams."

A/N: Sorry for the terribly late update. There has been some personal stuff going on that made it impossible for me to write on. But don't despair, I will finish this story, there are lots of surprises in store. Oh… and reviews make me very, very, very, very happy, I could really do with some sunshine now and a simple 'Good job' (or something akin to that) from you can make my day just that bit brighter!