I had prayed this day would never come. I even tried to make every effort to prevent it. But it was happening. My lovely April was lying on the table, blindfolded and gagged. Over a dozen, thick and very long silver chains were strategically placed on her from neck to ankle. I stood there, in horror, paralyzed in fear, I knew only one person who would do such a thing.
"You've got a tough one Franklin; you taught her to fight very well." She stepped out of the pantry and clapped her blood-covered hands as if she'd just watched a Broadway show.
"Those powers... well, you sure know how to pick them don't you." The wench went on and continued clapping her hands. "Did you know that your shadowy little progeny killed Raoul?"
I really paid no mind to Angelica's patronizing of me. Noting she said mattered. Everything I cared about was lying on the kitchen table. I walked over to April and begin removing the chains from her severely injured body.
"Why didn't you call out to me through our bond?"
I could tell she had been drained, she wasn't healing at all. I removed her blindfold and she looked at me with blood-stained eyes. I removed the gag from her mouth, it too covered in blood.
"Remember I told you I could see our future." Somehow, she still managed to smile at me. My sweet April, I knew the pain she was in, she tried her best to remain strong for us.
For god knows how long, Angelica was torturing April as she tortured me not so long ago. I just couldn't understand why April would not summon me. How was I not able to feel her?
Suddenly, the hag stepped in front of me. "Did you know she can things to move with her mind?"
I didn't answer; it was none of her fucking business what my angel could do. That pissed her off so she pushed me with such force I flew across the room, my skull made a dent in the wall. Angelica continued to talk as if nothing happened.
"She removed the first chain I put on her and threw it around Raoul's neck, she started to chant and it tightened until, well, you see."
She pointed to a corner in the living room and I saw a heap of bloody flesh on the ground that must have been Raoul.
She sped over to me. "I just wanted to talk to you my child and see how you are. To see why you abandoned me."
Did that ogress, really expect me to believe that? I knew better, Angelica wanted something. She grabbed me by my neck and began to squeeze it as she lifted me off my feet.
"I cut her tongue so she would stop that aggravating chanting." She spat.
Tears sprung from my eyes "How could you?" I growled and she squeezed my neck tighter. I felt so terribly helpless; I could only listen as my April groaned in agony, unable to even call out to me.
"She made the fire in the fireplace leap out and burned the hell out of me too. I had to drain her in order to heal myself."
If Angelica were anyone else, she'd be ripped to shreds, but this bitch was much older and stronger than I. She displayed her power by tossing me across the room again and again.
"Please, Just let her go, Angelica, I will come back to you."
I fibbed in desperation; I had no intention of going anywhere with her. I just wanted April to be set free. My pleading for my beloved only fueled her disdain even more.
"When I found out that you'd been asking of my whereabouts, I thought you missed me. So I found your William friend in London and made him tell me why. I was disappointed when I found out about you working for that insipid Russell. I was furious hearing of your nuptials with April."
She shook her head in disapproval. "She was a slave Franklin! I taught you better than that!"
"You did not teach me anything!" In a blur, she grabbed me by the throat and began to squeeze.
I screamed, my head ached at the sound of her voice and I was still no closer to rescuing April from my tormentor.
"Now, I want your unworthy child to pay for killing my companion. "He was royalty, you know."
She said in the most harassing way, she released her stranglehold, I fell to the ground as she went to opened her bag of torture tools on the counter next to April.
"And then, you will resign from wishy-washy Edington's employment." She pulled another chain out of the bag grinning.
I tried to gather strength; I used the table to give me leverage and began to rise to my feet. My eyes never left Aprils. My evil Sire threw the cold metal on her leg and it seared her skin.
April groaned and shuddered in agony.
"I may stay here in America, better yet right here in Mississippi, since you seem to like it so much." She walked toward me. I gathered strength from an unknown source and used it to stand to my feet. I closed in on her, punching her, knocking her into a mirror in the hall.
"Have you lost your mind? This is Russell's territory and he will not stand for this." I screamed at her, I could hear the glass crunching as she rose to her feet.
Using super speed, I removed all the chains from April. I did it just in time. All I heard were a whoosh sound and then the sound of my nose breaking as I went flying across the room, this time I broke my desk with my back.
Angelica looked at me with bewilderment; I'd never fought back before. But April was worth battling this ancient vampire for. I was going to give the battle-ax the fight of her vampire life. I promised myself that I would not let her touch April again, even if I lost my life in the process.
We fought for what seemed like hours. She would punch me and I would attempt to stake her. I had lost so much blood, like April, I was no longer healing. Whenever I was pulling myself out of the wall she continued to throw silver chains on April's already deteriorating body. I knew this was a battle I could not win, but I kept fighting anyway. I would fight until I died.
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eyes, I see a blur. In an instant, I knew it was Russell. He grabbed Angelica by the head and ripped it from her neck. Angelica's head went flying across the room and landed on the floor with a thud. It burst open like a melon.
Once again I ran over to my April. She was not moving and her moaning had stopped. Russell and I quickly began removing the chains. I bit into my wrist and tried to feed her. My blood went into her mouth but did nothing, so I yelled and my yelling became screaming. I begged her to drink, feed, and come back to me. Despite myself, I begin to weep uncontrollably. I knew I was too late.
"I'm sorry Franklin. I just got word she was in Jackson asking about you." He patted my shoulder; I'll send a servant here to provide you with anything you need.
I shook my head. "No sir, I want to be alone."
Russell nodded his head and as quickly as he came, he was gone. I looked around the room everything was completely destroyed. Angelica had even managed to burn the photo album April and I made by throwing it into the fireplace.
I kissed April's forehead. I placed her in her custom made lavender coffin. I dressed my doll in her most lovely lavender dress; I put on all her jewels, each one reminding me of happy times, wonderful places we'd traveled too. I dug a seven-foot grave by the oak tree below the swing April loved to sit on. I stayed by her grave thinking about the centuries of happiness that she blessed me with.
I dug a shallow grave for myself next to hers, I covered myself with the earth, dawn was approaching and I was exhausted. As I slept I dreamt of her. That beautiful, doe-eyed human smothering me with kisses, drinking red wine before she let me ravish her body, next, April Mott a stunning, ferocious vampire bride who enjoyed the blood of the vilest and most wicked humans.
She was the last in a long line of descendants of conjure women, voodoo, African priestess, a natural-born enchanter. To me she was a diamond, her hypnotic beauty and uniqueness could never be matched.
A part of me died that night with April. The year was 1955.
The next night I went to Russell's mansion, I just couldn't face the pain of going back into the home April and I share. I was greeted by a servant who saw fit to laugh at my disheveled appearance. I don't remember all the details, I supposed I blacked out and ripped him to pieces. I recall seeing several body parts all over the floor, Talbot was screaming, as Russell escorted me to my room.
The King invited me to dinner; I politely declined and retired to my designated guest room. I bathed and changed into some nightclothes. I looked over at the four-posted bed and envisioned April lying there in that white dress she wore the day I met her. In the closet were that very dress and most of her pre-vampire attire.
I caressed each one, picturing how lovely she looked in them. On the top shelf of the closet was a copy of our photo album, it seemed she had sent a copy to Talbot. I wept the entire night mourning the loss of my one and only true love. For several weeks I stayed at the mansion until my patients with Talbot's whining and dictating took its toll.
The years went by and April still remained in my heart. My love for her would always and forever burn like a wildfire. Over the years after her passing, there were some women in my life, but none of them had what it took to become my bride. Most of those relationships ended badly... especially for them.
It is a new millennium and vampires are known to the world now. Russell is steadfast in his missions of dominance and I am constantly working at his side. The year is 2010 and I am on assignment, headed to a town called Bon Temp.
I wonder what awaits me there...