I wondered if this was what Purgatory was supposed to be.
There was nothing. Just darkness. Then, like before, the world began to slowly fade in. I realized. of course, Sarah wouldn't have any memories of being actually dead. As far as her "brain" was concerned she merely fell asleep for however long she did and hadn't dreamed a thing. I had similar experience when I had not slept for two straight days and nights. When I eventually did sleep, I did not awake for twenty-four hours. However, it felt like it had been only a few minutes so deep the sleep was. After all, what sleep is deeper than the Big Sleep?
I was standing on a hard dirt stone floor. It was a light brown like clay that collected along riverbanks. The walls matched the floor with thick wooden beams in each of the four corners of the room. Overhead, similar wooden beams ran the length of the room with thinner planks laid over them. It took me a moment, but I learned I was in a basement and the wooden planks were the wood floor in level above me and the beams were, naturally, support beams that prevented from the rest from collapsing on itself.
A flight of stairs faded into place. They were made of the same hardened dirt as the floor. At the top of the stairs was a thick wooden door which was barred by two large piece of wood near the top and bottom. They were almost half a foot thick and ran across it. They were held up by strong black iron hooks on either side of the door. Unless they were removed, it would nigh impossible to open the door without taking tools or fire to it. Finally, a large four poster bed came into place. It was made entirely of polished wood and had clearly taken months under a master craftsman's keen eye. The head board was giant in comparison to the foot board. In fact, it was wider and taller then the rest of the bed. The grain of the wood ran along it like waves of water frozen in time and shined as if someone had just waxed the wood.
Instead of sheets, or rather sheets as that I was accustomed to, the bed was made with animal furs. The blanket, or quilt really, was a the thick fur hide of bear with the claws still attached to each corner. The fur was jet black with the hair relatively short, but still thick in comparison to say a dog or a cat. Even the pillows were just stuffed beaver hides. Then two lumps formed under it and I knew how it was.
Of course SHE was going to be there along with Sarah.
Sure enough, the lumps began to take a more human shape with all the beautiful curves and curls I had grown to love. Then came that majestic weave of crimson hair. She was sitting up on an elbow and looking down at the second lump, Sarah naturally, with a strange warmth to her face. In a very motherly gesture, SHE brushed Sarah's loose hair her ear. SHE then caressed Sarah's cheek and smiled slightly to herself as she was proud of some accomplishment. I suppose it was in a way. Turning a human is simple, but never easy without practice. The human tended to simply die more often than not if the Maker's blood was administered quickly enough or insufficient amounts were given. I took it mean that was why SHE hadn't completely drained me. Had she, I wouldn't have been conscious enough to drink like I had.
Hardly a moment had passed before Sarah began to stir. She opened her eye and struggled to sit up. SHE merely smiled amused and leaned over the edge of the bed and rang a small bell. Naturally, Sarah flinched at the sound with her newfound ear sensitivity. I turned to the sound of door creaking open at the top of the stairs which was immediately followed by the sound of light footsteps coming down. A woman came into view. She was an older woman, somewhere in her late thirties or early forties, and was clearly a house slave. Her skin was lighter than Sarah, but she was still clearly black. She wore a simple dark dress that was long and wide enough to hid her feet from view with a worn off-white apron over it. Her hair was short or tied back. It was difficult to tell with the colored rag she wore on her head.
I watched Sarah carefully. The moment she cleared her thoughts, this slave was dead.
"Ms. Wallace." She gave quick curtsy. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes, Betty." SHE spared Sarah a glance. "Fetch me two suitcases and see that my clothes and clothes for my companion packed within the hour." SHE paused then said. "Oh, and make sure they are decent clothes. None of those cheap rags your master sees fit to give you."
"Yes, ma'am." Betty nodded quickly. "But, uh, excuse me, ma'am, Massa Thomas won't like that."
"Simply tell him to speak with me." SHE said plainly. "I will sort it out."
It seemed the hunger had finally reared its ugly head. Sarah was now watching Betty's every breath and, more importantly, her throat that throbbed with every heartbeat. I estimated she was less than a second from pouncing on Betty like lion would a gazelle. Sarah's mouth parted slightly and I, as well as Betty, could see the tips of her newly grown fangs.
"Not now." SHE commanded laying a hand on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah whipped her head to face her. "I understand, but not much longer." SHE turned to speak to Betty. "Take care not to move too quickly until you are out of sight."
Betty gave a quick bow and walked back up the stairs, her footsteps becoming rapid towards the top before the door slamming shot. Sarah's hands fleew up to cover her ears at the sound. SHE smiled and gently removed Sarah's hands.
"I know." SHE said gently. "It will take some time until you are accustomed."
"Wilhelmina?" Sarah asked unsure.
"Ah, you remember." SHE seemed pleased. "Tell me, what else do you remember? Leave nothing out."
"I - I - I remember . . ." Sarah shook head, no doubt the hunger making it difficult to focus. "I was hurt . . . and . . . you killed a man . . . " She placed a hand over face. "Please . . . I can't . . .so hungry."
"It won't be too long." SHE assured as she lifted Sarah's face to her and cradled her cheek. "Come, we will not be able to stay near humans in your state for some time."
SHE got out of bed and walked, naked, to a chair tucked in the corner that I had missed that had a small unfolded pile of clothes. SHE held the clothes to her nose for a second, no doubt seeing if the clothes were still fresh enough to wear. With a shurg, SHE threw on an off-white cotton shirt that she tucked into a pair of dark brown trousers. Both and Sarah watched her every move as SHE buckled a belt and buttoned an emerald weave vest over the shirt. SHE was tying a [air of old leather shoes when a loud banging came from at the door.
Sarah hissed at the sound, startled.
"Wait!" SHE whispered and Sarah relaxed, watching her like a confused house cat. "Stay here and I will see what he wants."
Sarah and I watched as SHE walked to the stairs and disappeared when she began climbing them. Due to being ordered to not follow Sarah, and by extension me, did not see, but she had heard every word said between whomever was knocking and SHE.
"Ah, Mister Byrne." SHE greeted warmly. "May I help you?"
"Ya most certainly can, Lass." said a man in a clear, but accusing, Irish accent. "What's with ye orderin' Betty ta fetch clothes fer you an' friend?"
"As I told you when you allowed me to reside here, it was temporary." SHE said politely.
"Yeah," Byrne agreed. "but nothing was said 'bout you bringing runaway slaves into my house in the dead of night. Not ta mention Betty tells me ya both been sharing a bed for the past couple of nights."
"What are you implying?" SHE said coolly. "Last I was told, only one of us is married and it is not I."
"Now what are ya implyin'?" Byrne growled.
"As the book you swore upon when you wedded your wife claims, let he who is without sin cast the next stone." SHE said sounding a bit smug.
"Ya fuckin 'hore!" Byrne shouted
There was the sudden sound of flesh slapping flesh which was quickly followed by the sound of bones cracking.
"Oh, God!" cried Byrne. "Let go! My arm!"
"I have been many things in my time." SHE said clearly annoyed. "But a whore I will never be!" At the her final word, came the clear unmistakable sound of a bone snapping like a toothpick.
"AHH!" Byrne cried out.
SHE didn't allow Byrne to wallow in pain for too much. Neither Sarah or I saw, but SHE tossed Byrne down the stairs where he tumbled loudly and came to hard stop against the wall. Against all odds, he didn't break his neck in the fall, but he did smack the wall hard enough to draw blood.
And that was the end of Thomas Byrne.
Like when I first scented the undeniable allure of fresh blood, Sarah leapt from the bed and pounced on Byrne's neck before he could blink. He made sound somewhere between a gasp and a yelp as tried to throw Sarah off, but he was fighting the inevitable. Even if he hadn't been severely injured after being tossed down a flight of stairs, there wasn't human strong to fend off even the weakest vampire and the desperation of an infant was not something even elder vampires ignored completely.
I watched for a moment as Sarah drained Byrne when I heard a scream and whipped towards the top of stairs. It had barely registered as the scream of a woman when it was suddenly cut off as soon as it began. It was quickly followed by same sound that Byrne had made when SHE threw him down the stairs. Sarah clearly sensed something and detached herself from Byrne's neck just as a white woman, probably Byrne's wife since she did not resemble him in the slightest, broke her fall on his limp body. She managed to push herself up and saw whom she was sitting on. Sarah, naturally of course, did not appreciate having her meal being interrupted and snarled. Mrs. Byrne cried out and tried to escape up the stairs on all fours, but Sarah effortlessly seized her by the ankle and yanked her back to her. I heard a very loud pop and screamed at the top of her lungs which was expected considering Sarah had dislocated her leg from her pelvis. Ignoring her scream filled sobs, Sarah sank her fangs into her neck.
It wasn't long before she also went limp and quiet as her husband. As I stood there and Sarah drained the last of Byrnes, a voice came from above. A voice that Sarah heard, but chose to ignore in favor sucking down the remaining drop of blood.
"Ma'am." said a male voice. "Is everything alright? We heard screamin'."
"Everything is fine, Timothy." SHE assured. "Ah, I see Betty enlisted your help."
"Yessm." Timothy agreed. "She said you'd be wanting this right away."
"Clever woman." SHE remarked. "Now, Timothy, I want you to listen very carefully. It could mean your life."
"Ma'am?"
"Whatever happens next, do make any sudden movements and do not scream." Then came the creak of the door being opened. "Sarah!"
In the time it took me to blink, Sarah lifted her head from the now late Byrne couple and raced up the stairs. I found myself standing in a larger foyer. Both the ceiling and floor molding were bright white as were the columns that were made to resemble the marble version of Rome. The walls had wallpaper that had a beige base with light green vine like stems in neat rows. All along the stems were delicate looking flowers in colors that made them stand out against the mix of beige and green. The furniture was minimal, but high quality. There was a dark mahogany hat rack to my right just to the side of the front door with a small can that held a few canes and an umbrella or two. To my left, there was a flight of stairs the led up to balcony with a room on each end and one in the center.
A lean black man, Timothy I assumed, stood in front of me with his back to me. He was dressed a typical butler — white gloves, white shirt, black pants, black jacket, and polished shoes. He was still as a statue and I could see it was taking every ounce of self control not to scream or run. I'd also wager he was confused at how beautiful Sarah's naked body was while being terrified at the blood stains on her mouth and ran down her neck.
"Timothy, would you please?" SHE said politely. "Slowly."
Timothy did as was told. It was actually quite impressive, but it was ruined when Sarah suddenly tilted her head and involuntary flinched. Sarah lunged forward just as Timothy cowered behind his arms, but her hiss was shoved back down her throat when SHE seized her by the neck like a kitten and yanked her back.
"I am sorry, Timothy." SHE said gently, keeping a firm grip on Sarah's neck. "Please go assist Bessie."
SHE waited until Timothy left before releasing Sarah. Naturally still hungry, like a dog catching sight of a rabbit, Sarah took off after Timothy. SHE rolled her eyes and appeared before Sarah, stopping her.
"Enough!" SHE snapped. She nodded once Sarah relaxed her body. "Good!" She nodded once. "Now put on those clothes." SHE then gave Sarah a very quick once over and smiled slightly. "It's very distracting."
I couldn't help, but chuckle. It was classic HER. Sarah also must've guessed HER double meaning and quickly dressed. Sarah stepped into a pair old, but clean looking, tan trousers. She then threw on a light green collared shirt that she quickly buttoned up to her neck.
"Here." SHE held out a rag. "Clean your face. It'll scare the others." Then she looked down and saw Sarah was barefoot. "I thought as much. No matter."
"Miss Wallace?" Betty and Timothy came the same way Timothy had left earlier. Each had a small pack in thier hands. "We have what you asked for."
"They are not to be harmed." SHE ordered Sarah before speaking to them. "Please, come here."
"Liked you asked." Betty handed HER a pack. "All the clothes you brught with you. Clean n' dry from this mornin'."
"Thank you, Betty." SHE said politely.
"And clothes for your friend." added Timothy looking unsure at what to do.
"You can hand it to her." SHE assured. "She will not bite."
Timothy, with shaking hands, extended the pack to Sarah who could not keep her eyes off of his neck and lick her lips. Instead of attacked she looked down at the pack as if she had just noticed it and shouldered it.
"Here." SHE handed Betty and Timothy each a thin stack of paper. It wasn't until I saw the symbol for a dollar that realized the paper was money. "For the trouble."
"It was nothin', ma'am." said Timothy. "It's our job."
"That is not what I meant." SHE motioned to the basement. "I suggest you make your way to a more enlightened part of the country. Otherwise I'm afraid you will no doubt be blamed for the untimely passing of Mister Byrne and his wife."
Betty and Timothy went to the door and looked down. Timothy gasped while Betty crossed herself and uttered a prayer.
"I can't imagine you owe him much loyalty or any on this farm so I doubt his passing will cause you much grief, but someone will come looking for them sooner or later." SHE shouldered the pack. "I recommend taking this time to scrounge what you will need and head north to New York or New Jersey. Pennsylvania might also suffice. I, however, will be taking my leave. Come, Sarah, I tire of this so called "southern hospitality"."
Sarah spared a glance at Timothy and Betty, probably weighing her chances of draining them before SHE stopped her, before shouldering her pack and followed her maker out the door.
The world swirled and faded into view again, much faster this time, and I seemed to be floating alongside HER and Sarah. The farm was nowhere to be seen and thick forest obscured the night sky and either side of a dirt road they seemed to be walking along. The only source of light, not it was needed, was the light of the full moon that would occasionally find a break in the leaves of the trees overhead. I was not certain, but this road felt familiar. I wondered was because I had seen it in Sarah's memories or the feeling was coming from Sarah herself. My thoughts were interrupting when I heard HER voice.
"No." SHE said. "From tonight and on, you will only be able to survive on human blood. In time, you might be able to sustain yourself on the blood of animals in dire situations."
"How much?" Sarah asked. "I must have drained every single drop from their bodies, but I am still hungry."
"The feeling will pass, but as for one so young as you it will take some time." SHE explained. "In time, as you age and gain control of yourself, a mouthful every now and again will be sufficient."
It seemed SHE didn't want to waste time in explaining what she had done to Sarah. As they walked, SHE began explaining all of the basics — enhanced strength and speed, heightened senses, fangs, the lethality of sunlight and silver — occasionally answering a question Sarah asked. It sort of bothered me in strange way. SHE had never taken the time to do the same with me. The only time she elaborated was whenever I thought to ask a question. Naturally, I was too preoccupied in my new found freedom and new found pleasure in between my maker's legs to devote any more thought than occasionally wondering.
It wasn't long before we reached a large tree and saw SHE had led Sarah to where they had met. At the base of tree was a long pile of raised earth and a wooden cross made of dead branches. Resting against the trunk was a long rawhide bundle tied closed It seemed SHE done as promised and buried Christoph. Sarah approached the grave and knelt on a knee. Sarah then placed a hand on the grave and bowed her head. SHE observed all of this without a word for a moment then went behind the tree. When she stepped back into view, Sarah was standing and staring at the grave.
"Which do you want?" SHE asked.
Sarah looked up to see HER hold two long duster coats. One was very light brown and very familiar looking while the other was almost white in color and appeared to made of canvas or linen rather than leather.
"Those belong to me and Christoph." Sarah said to her.
"We will need so not to draw attention." SHE held them up. "Humans will ask how we are immune to the cold. Is there one you prefer?"
"The leather one." Sarah said. "It belonged to Christoph."
"Very well." SHE tossed it to Sarah and slipped on the remaining duster. "Are you ready to leave? We have quite journey to make."
"Where are we going?" Sarah took the bundle and unwrapped it.
"Virgina may not be your home, but it is vital to leave the area wherever and whenever a human is turned." SHE shrugged as she looked at how the coat fit her. "I have a home in New York."
"Where in New York?" Sarah asked while she buckled a holster from the bundle. "The city?"
"Yes." SHE said. "Five Points to be exact. It is not the safest of neighborhoods, but the constant flood of Irish and others is perfect for blending in as well hunting."
"Safety has not never been an option for me." Sarah said sliding a large knife into a sheath on left hip. "Not to mention that I'm no stranger to catching my dinner."
"Nor am I." SHE chuckled. "But this won't be the hunting you are acustomed to. What are you doing?"
"Didn't you say this Five Points was dangerous?" Sarah loaded a sawed off double barrel shotgun and slid it into the holster on the small of her back. "I have a couple of spare holsters."
"Humans and their weapons." SHE smiled amused. "Do you not recall what i said? Even now at your weakest point, you could overpower ten of the strongest men in the country with your bare hands. You are beyond them now."
"Won't that draw attention?" Sarah threw on the duster coat and slid a long rifle into a scabbard on her back. Sarah rolled her shoulders looked confused. "Hmm. This is strange."
"What is?"
"This." Sarah opened her coat to reveal her weapons. "Two pistols, a shotgun, a rifle, a knife, along with a holster for each and my bandoleer is filled to the brim with at least hundred or so rounds for all of them." Sarah rolled her shoulders and gyrated her hips slightly. "If I didn't know, I'd swear I just put on a shirt."
"Like I've telling you, you are much stronger than before." SHE handed Sarah a hat, it was the same Sarah had been wearing when I had met her. "Here. I thought you may wish to keep this."
"This was Christoph's." Sarah said almost to herself and stared at the hat in her hands.
"Yes. I know how — "
HER words were cut off as she found herself wrapped in Sarah's arms. SHE hesitated for a moment, no doubt taken by surprised, but she smiled warmly and returned the embrace. Sarah then slowly released until she was face to face with HER. Then, like all newborns after feeding, her instincts kicked in. Before she knew it, Sarah had her mouth on her maker's. This time, it wasn't much of a shock and SHE quickly began kissing her back. It went on for a minute before something clicked in Sarah's mind and she realized what she was doing. Just as sudden as it began, Sarah pushed herself away and retreated a few steps.
"I . . . that's not . . ." Sarah stammered at a loss for words. "I don't know . . . I've never . . . a woman . . ."
"It is fine." SHE assured gently and caressed Sarah's face with hand. "You will find certain urges difficult to resist. Some of those urges will lead to discoveries and desires about yourself you did not know were possible." SHE then planted a quick, but lingering kiss on Sarah's mouth. "I know because I speak from experience. Experience I would more than happy to share with you." SHE then turned and began walking back toward the road in the distance. "That will have to wait. Come, we have quite the journey to New York."
Sarah looked over to Christoph's grave.
"Ich weiß, dass Sie diese Stadt wegen der mich erwählt , und Sie Ihr Bestes versucht, aber ich wollte Sie ." Sarah placed Christoph's hat and began following HER. "Nie wieder , mein Liebling . Nie wieder."
Then the world around me suddenly went black.
I hadn't felt this weak, or hungry, since my first night. I struggled to open my eyes and a groan escaped my mouth. I blinked several times and tried to see where I was. A bed with high thread count sheets, a nightstand, a bookshelf filled with comic books in plastic bags. That's right. I was in my room. Sarah and I had done the Sibling's Embrace to share our memories and we had fallen asleep in bed together, after some relieving a basic urge or two. I looked down and saw Sarah was not in bed or in the room. I also saw the light in the hallway was on and I could hear the television on in the living room.
It took far more effort than it should have, but I managed to drag myself out of bed and limped to the closet. I tore down a pair of pants and shirt. I made my way to the bed and sat down. I was pulling on my pants when I noticed my cane-sword was resting against the nightstand. I was reaching for it when the door flew open and flooded the room with the blinding glare of the sun. Alright, it was not true sunlight. However it was considerably bright considering vampires' natural night-vision and the fact my eyes had adjusted to a pitch dark room. I snarled and futilely threw my arms up to shield my eyes.
"Good!" said a familiar voice. "You're awake. I was beginning to worry after the second day."
"Sarah?" I managed weakly.
"Yes." I could feel her in front of me. "How do you feel?"
"Weak." I said as my eyes adjusted to the light. "And hungry."
"That is to be expected." She nodded. "You haven't fed for three days."
"What?!"
"Come." Sarah took my arm and put it around her shoulder. "Lean on me."
I did and Sarah supported me as she began leading me out.
"Some blood and you'll be fine." Sarah assured me. "I think your nestmate's progeny didn't completely drain her last meal."
A/N - Sorry for the long wait and short update. I made the mistake of overloading on classes for my first semester which didn't leave me anytime to write, or sleep for that matter, and was it by the grace of God, and maybe a few other deities, that I managed to pull a 3.0 GPA. I didn't make that mistake this time around, but you never know how professors will be. So I'll try to update more often, but no guarantees.
A/N II - I know you'll have other questions about Sarah past ― how Wilhelmina left her, why did she think Wilhelmina was dead, certain famous bounties Sarah's brought in over the years, etc ―however rather than spend the next chapter or three about her past, I've chosen another way so that way I can continue Dom's story and continue fleshing out Sarah's. So read, review, and share.