Bloodsport

Lips pulled back, fangs dripping fresh blood reflected in the slow burn of the gas light. The girl lay crumpled at his feet moaning and begging for mercy. He snarled, "You dared to raise your hand to me. I am your master. Never forget it." He kicked savagely the whimpering, begging female. "I am your lord of the night."

"Yes. Yes. Forgive me." She struggled to crawl away. He reached out grabbing her neck. He pulled her up to his lips, and tore life from her wreathing form. He flung her after wiping his mouth on her torn dress. Laughter rose into the night sky as he faded into the surrounding darkness.

Henry breathed down her neck as she read the first few words and asked, "Well Vicki how do you like the beginning of my latest story?" Vicki looked up into the face she loved and saw the dusting of freckles left by their one day in the sun, "You want an honest answer, or a flattering lie?"

Henry ran his hands through his hair, "Give it to me straight."

She rattled the paper, "Bloodsport. You're getting a little to close to home with this story."

Henry started pacing, "my publisher says I need more violence in my stories. People are demanding vampire novels. Who better to write them?" He took the page and tore it in half, "Tell the truth and it shall make you free." He let the pieces fall to the floor, "I don't want to write this. I told the publisher no. She said my work was getting stale. I needed a new approach. She threw ideas at me. Vampire detective. Vampire kindergarten teacher. Vampire reporter. If I'm going to do it. It will be my way. Write about the violence of my early years. Blood and gore, with no one to care. Many of the things I got away with was because no one cared." He started pacing and growling.

Vicki stood in his path and stopped him as he was about to walk around her, "You don't have to write if you don't want to. Your paintings are doing well and you other stories still sell. What drives you? The money? The fame or the rave reviews?"

Henry freed himself from her restraining hand, "The words keep moving in my head. I can't stop them. Either I put them to paper and forget them or they drive me crazy. If I could stop writing I would. It is always a mystery and challenge. What will the next sentence be? How does the story end? Will it end or will it be the beginning of another story?" He looked at her, "Some of my tales are fun. Most are dark. My life has been lived in shadows. Few have known me. Even less have loved me. I try to connect with the living through words and art." He turned away and walked out into the night.

The young girl sat alone in her car. The engine was running but the car was not moving. She felt her options had run out. She lost her job and her boyfriend dumped her. The car needed repairs and if she went home her parents would ask in that fake cheerful tone, "How did your day go?" They would appear eager to hear good news, but close their eyes and ears to her truths. She revved the engine and looked straight ahead at the guardrail and the ravine that was held back from careless drivers. It was useless, life was not any better than it had been as a teen. Just more of the same and no way out. She put the car in reverse and backed up to get a running start at the railing and the end of all her problems.

Henry had been watching in the darkness wondering what the girl was up to. He was reasonably sure she was planning to end her life. As the car started moving forward he jumped in front of the moving vehicle.

She slammed on the brakes and screamed, "Damn, damn, damn, get out of my way!" The car stalled out and she crossed her arms over the steering wheel, "I can't even do suicide right. You damn fool. Why couldn't you let me die?"

Henry opened the passenger side door and got in, "Sometimes it just isn't your time to die."

"What do you know of death?"

He looked into the darkness of the ravine and spoke more to himself than her,"More than you will ever know. Driving headlong into death is not the answer."

"What is then? My life is a mess. And don't sit there giving me the close the door, open a window crap either. Keep birds and sunshine to yourself too."

Henry looked at the slightly over weight girl with the tear streaked face, "No. I won't. I'll sit hear and listen. Sometimes that's all a person needs. Someone to listen and not offer advice. After you finish talking, I'll leave and you can do what you want."

She looked out into the darkness and wondered what was at the bottom of the ravine, "Why doesn't anyone that looks like you love me? All the men I know want skinny and pretty."

Henry understood what she meant. He went for pretty, skinny women, but then again he found pleasure with the full figured too. "What about you. Have you looked twice at average men, or overweight men? Or do you only find yourself attracted to handsome men with great bodies?"

She stopped to think about that. There had been nice average men that had asked her out and she said "no" hoping for something better to come along. She started talking about her dreams. He asked her what she had done to make them happen. She looked into herself and the world around her. She looked at her career choices and realized that she had not been true to herself, letting others tell her what her choices should be. Henry listened and when words stopped he would ask another question.

She looked at him with pleading eyes, "Would you hold me for a time. I wish you could love me."

Henry thought about vampire passion and what he was able to do to her and mentally shook his head no. That would not be kind. Giving her a taste of the type of passion he was capable of would only make her more unhappy. He said, "I will hold you and nothing more." He got out of the car and walked around to the driver's side door, opened it and stood back as she got out. He wrapped his arms around her waist and allowed her to place her cheek against his. He used his vampire power of persuasion to let her know she was a valuable, beautiful person. That there were those who would love her if she would only give them a chance. He let her see all the possibilities that life held if only given a time. The best things in life were found in the unexpected. She looked at him and asked, "You love someone very much don't you?"

Henry answered, "Yes, my Vicki."

"She is lucky to have you. I hope she appreciates how special you are."

Henry smiled and said, "She does."

The girl stepped back, "It won't be easy. But I'm going to make each day matter. If love finds me, all well and good. In the mean time I'm going to work on making my dreams happen. Thank you for listening."

Henry kissed her gently on the cheek and faded into the darkness. She got back in her car and drove into the future.

Vicki was sitting where he had left her. He saw that the paper he had dropped was on the table taped back together. He held it up, "Thank you but it's not necessary. I'm giving up the bloodsport storyline. I'm going to write love stories. I know all about love, after all I am the definition of love."

Vicki smiled up at her Henry, "That you are. That you are."

He held out his hand. She took it. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms. Together they walked into their room laughing and planning this night's definition of love.

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Real Tears