Voix had his hands gripped firmly on the railing of the small ship. "Damn this fog!" he exclaimed under his breath. Voix hated going to Innish Craig at this time of year. He glanced up and saw headlights from a car on the cliff about 1/2 mile from where he was. He thought this to be odd, especially this time of night. Even though the fog was thick he was still able to see quite well. Voix's ship was closing in to the dock when he spotted the headlights going over the edge of the cliff! "Well, that can't be good." he said.
The captain walks up to him and tells him, "We have arrived sir." Voix with a dismissing gesture, shoos the captain as if he was an annoying insect. "Very well, Captain, did you see that car run off of the revign into the sea?" Voix points to the area, "there." the captain looks at him and shakes his head. "No. I was busy steering the ship in sir. Do you think someone was in it?" Voix peered into the spot where the car had landed, he was trying to feel a presence. He concentrated until he felt a jolt.
He shuddered grasping the rail again. "Maybe, the only real way to see is if I go check it out." the captain shouted to him, "Sir, it's dangerous! You'll be killed!" the captain had no idea what Voix was so this amused him a bit as he laughed when he jumped over the railing onto the dock. "I'm tougher than I look Captain, don't you worry about me. Just make sure that boat is secured tightly, that storm is coming in fast!" and with that Voix was on a new adventure, one he was never about to forget.
He made it to an area where he could dive in without the fear of the rocks bashing him about. He quickly found the car submerged, the headlights were flickering on and off so he knew he had to work fast. He saw evidence that this was no accident and heard a very faint pounding coming from the trunk. He was right! Someone was definatly in there!
Voix swam to the trunk and forced it open and found a body. Without hesitating he grabbed the body and headed to the surface. When he and the man made it to the shore, the man weakly pointed back to the sea and said, "the diary..." he passed out. Voix knew whatever this diary was, it meant a great deal to him. Voix managed to find the book in the trunk and made it back to the surface. He got the book and stuck it in the lining of his jacket.
Now to find out who this man was, and if he would survive. Voix took the jacket off the man and searched his pockets where he found and ID, "Todd Manning, Llanview, PA" Voix looked at the ID and then the man, "Ahhh, that is who you are. Well, Mr. Manning, I assure you, I will find out why, whoever did this to you, why those people sent you over those cliffs!" Voix then inserts the wallet back into Todd's jacket and drops it on the shore. "We need to have those heathens who did this to you think you are dead. Hell, they almost accomplished their mission...ALMOST" Voix looks at the broken man again and says, "You are one tough son-of-a-bitch, Manning"
Two Days Later...
A very weak Todd lays in an oversized bed. He opens is eyes weakly and looks around. His thoughts race through his head. "what the hell, is going on.." Voix in his usual quiet demeanor stands in the doorway and looks at the man. "you are very weak my friend...I am afraid you will not survive unless I give you...this gift." Voix silently strides over to the bed and sits on the edge. He runs his fingers through his hair. "You my friend, have a spirit. You my friend will become...like me."
Todd looks at the tall stranger, very confused. "What...are you talking about?" Manning, licks his lips. He was very dehydrated. "Water?" he says dryly. Voix looks at the young man, his muscular frame, his elegant face, his shoulder length brown hair, those hazel eyes, green as a rolling grass field on a hot summer day tinged with brown specks, oh those expressive eyes, he looked into those eyes. He knew he saw pain like that in eyes before. Voix saw HIS own pain. In those eyes.
"Todd, you will die, unless..." Rage filled Todd as he heard this, "You plan to kill me? Well, what in the hell are you waiting for?!" Todd tried to move but fell back on the bed screaming in agony, knowing he was definatly not well. His eyes followed Voix as he slowly walked to the other side of the bed and sat next him. "You sure do have a spirit, but what I am offering you cannot be taken lightly. I am not offering you death, but life BEYOND death." Todd still delirious in pain exclaimed, "Beyond...death? There is nothing BEYOND death. Unless, your a.." Todd dryly laughs, "vampire." Todd coughs violently.
Voix, knowing how hard it would be for a mere mortal to believe in such a thing, takes a ragged breath. He grabs the sides of Manning's face and stares him in those eyes. "What, you don't believe in vampires Todd Manning? Look at these eyes of mine and you tell me I am HUMAN!" Todd shuddered. He tried not to focus on his eyes. "Stop. Please...stop!" Voix feeling desperate, shakes Todd's head, "LOOK AT ME! look..at..me." Todd slowly meets his eyes with Voix and realizes a faint glow...and blood rimmed his eyes, but this blood seemed different, it seemed to have a shimmering glow to it also. Not human blood, Todd has seen his share. This blood was not human at all, it seemed supernatural somehow. "What are you?" he whispered.
"You belive in vampires now? Do you believe in ME?" Voix said with a slight upturned grin. Todd sunk into the bed terrified. His mind was racing, Vampires were just something adults told children to frighten them. But he never believed they were real. But now, he wasn't sure. Voix grabbed the glass of water on the nightstand and handed it to Todd. He grabs the glass and gulps down the water. "Slow down, you'll drown!" Voix laughs at him. "I just pulled you out of the sea, and you want to drown yourself in my bed!" Todd sarcasticly looks at him, "I was thirty damn it!" Voix stood slowly and walked to the doorway. "I will let you ponder your decision. You will have one more day. Whichever you decide, your life will change. It will either end, or a whole new adventure awaits you. Decide Todd, death, or beyond death, just imagine what will happen if you chose the latter." and with that, Voix exited the room.
That morning, Todd awoke to find a light breakfast on the nightstand. Cut fruit, coffee, orange juice and a biscuit. He was famished. He realized how bad of shape he was in when he tried to sit up but couldn't because of the pain he was in. It seemed like every bone in his body was either broken, or bruised. He layed there frustrated by this immobility. He groaned in frustration. Todd needed help, but from who? He then noticed a small bell next to the tray. He stared at the bell for a long time. He thought of his beloved Blair. The pain in her eyes as he gazed upon her for the last time. He knows now that he never should have left to help Marty...ughh. He hated thinking of her, and what he had done to her all those years before. A few nights before he left he talked to her. He felt that he owed her something, so he decided to take this damn trip. It was the guilt that made him come. He just married Blair, but he couldn't get Marty out of his head. "Damn her...no...Damn me." he thought to himself.
He grabbed the bell on the table, this took what little strengh he had but he managed to ring it a couple times. He had to eat to get his strength back. As he waited for someone he pondered the thought of what the man had told him. Could he really be a vampire? He wasn't human. The way he walked, talked, even the slight gestures he gave, little things he did, were not human at all. When this man walked you could tell he was trying to ACT more human than he was. It was like he was forcing himself to slow down, to be more 'in the moment' it seemed. Todd didn't realize who or what he was up against, but he was more than willing to hear him out and what possibilites he could do. But, more than that, he wanted to be with...Blair.
A servant hurried in and helped Todd with his breakfast. "So," with a mouth full of biscuit he asked the woman, "who is this tall guy that I have been talking to..Does he have a name?" he says pushing the last bite of biscuit in his mouth. The servant tells him, "Manners...you Americans..No manners at all." Todd rolls his eyes at her he was so used to Viki telling him to be more courtious and swallow his food before he spoke. How he hated that. But he did this to get a reaction from people. He had manners, he just CHOSE not to use them. Besides, he was too much in a hurry to use manners anyway. Besides, Blair never minded, well, she did, but she never repremanded him about it.
"Are you going to tell me?" he looked at the woman with a menacing scowl. "Who is he?" The woman looked at him and said, "He is our master, the owner of this house. His name is Vincent. He is known as Voix. Vincent LeVoix." Todd looked at the woman and rolled his eyes. "Oh great, no wonder he has an attitude. He's French." the servant gathered up the tray, which was picked clean by Todd, and walked to the door. She was aggrivated by his remark. "The master will see you this evening, if you need anything, ring the bell" and with that, she hurried out of the room.