Matthew's Memories

Vampire AU

Warnings: blood, vampires and underage drinking.

The air was full of scents, mixing together into a volatile cocktail that made his sensitive nose itch. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke made him lightheaded… though not as lightheaded as the other scent. Control, the blond haired man thought to himself as his long, thin fingers skimmed his untouched glass of whatever it was the bartender had put down in front of him. The cool skin couldn't feel the cold condensation on the glass, but it didn't bother him. Not anymore. His mind was too full as it was. He had to keep himself in check, lest this test be wasted. But it was so tempting. There were so many bodies around him. Living and breathing. No… not just bodies. Humans. What he used to be.

Despite his mind being so tense, his body showed nothing but a state of complete lax. He was somewhat slouched over the bar, his feet, covered in scuffed boots, barely touching the floor in front of the barstool. His blond hair was getting longer, coming past his chin and starting to curl at the ends, with a long obvious curl bobbing in front of his face. But he was used to that curl. He'd had it as long as he could remember… though that wasn't very long. Just over the span of a hundred years. Just barely. His clothing was beginning to show that time span. The material of both his red Mountie jacket and black pants were faded and horridly stained. But the color of both hid the identity of the majority of the stains. Yes dirt stood out like a sore thumb, no matter how much he tried to wash the now brittle fabric. But at least the red stains were virtually hidden or at least mistaken for something else.

Despite his appearance clothing wise, the young looking man didn't stand out among the bar's patrons. He supposed once upon a time this natural talent for blending into the background was a curse. Now, however, it only served as a blessing. He wasn't bothered often and the bartender, a sleepy looking young man, had long since forgotten his presence. Only when a tipsy or even drunk patron came too close and accidently bumped into him did anyone acknowledge that he even existed. Those times were a true test of his hard worked control. They were so close. So vulnerable. He could practically feel them hum with life. He could hear the breath they took and hear their hearts beating, pumping blood through their veins. He could smell it too. Through the alcohol and smoke. Even through their natural scent. He could smell the blood in their veins. Oh how it made him thirst. He had to make himself ridged, jaw clenched tight as he held in the unneeded breath. Or else he'd lose it in that close proximity. Soon it would all pass, as the giggling person would amble on their way, very few times slurring out an apology. Then his fangs would shrink back down and a short time later, the red tint would fade from his irises until only a fairly unnoticeable ring remained around those violet-blues.

He supposed that he was only passing part of the test, failing the other so far. Yes, he'd come to the bar to test his control, seeing if he truly could come into the establishment without brutally massacring everyone in sight. But the other half was finding "food". He had to find someone, willing or not, to supply him blood. Then he had to take it… without killing them. Only take what he needed and find someone else to fill him the rest of the way. If he remembered correctly from his sire, his kind should drink from at least three people in this manner if they wished to virtually eliminate the ache inside his abdomen and the burn in his throat. But his sire always made it sound so easy. Then again, Francis Bonnefoy was not like most vampires. Just as he, Matthew Williams, was not like most of his kind. A vampire just leaving the newborn stage.

After one hundred years, Matthew was able to think clearly. He was no longer that starving creature, constantly thirsting for blood and carnage, always desperate to please the one who had turned him. Matthew had tried so hard to please Francis. But as a newborn, his simple mind couldn't grasp the idea of leaving his prey alive. His thirst made him irrational. Made him want to drink and drink, even after the blood was sucked dry from the husk of a corpse. Francis was one of the few vampires to embrace their nature yet also embrace their lost humanity. Drink from your victim but not enough that they die. That would be barbaric, monstrous. Unsophisticated. But newborns had so much trouble taking to this idea right away, even with the need to please their sire. Matthew always had killed his prey. He'd then hide from his sire, growing ashamed of causing that disapproving look on the Frenchman's face. He'd find some dark place to hide, like a closet or under a piece of furniture. He'd curl into a ball, shaking and whimpering like a child. Francis would assure him no one grasped it the first times. It would take years to master the same control he had. He'd been doing it for over five hundred years by the time he'd met and taken Matthew under his wing. He claimed anyone could learn… though some just couldn't grasp their hidden humanity. Some could fail to want it. Matthew remembered the saddened look Francis would have, remembering his previous "child".

Matthew had met this "Arthur" only a few times. Those were times he'd rather forget. At first the man was insane and he and Francis fought constantly. Matthew remembered being weary of the vampire, as all young vampires were when another vampire was near their sire. But most of all he remembered his confusion and the anxiety that resulted. Arthur couldn't see Matthew as himself. When he looked at Matthew he only saw a man he called "Alfred". It got to the point that Matthew didn't know who he was. Was he Alfred? Was his sire really Arthur… Was Arthur his "elder brother"? It got to the point that Francis could take no more. He chased off Arthur a few times before returning to comfort the confused newborn. It wouldn't be long, however. There was a guilt, Matthew realized. Francis had turned Arthur, pitying a wounded soldier during the American Revolutionary War. The man was already half insane from the loss of a younger brother to pneumonia or something, the boy never reaching his teens and not having lived in the colonies for very long before death claimed him as it had the rest of their family. It only got worse with his changing.

After a hundred years, Arthur drifted away from Francis, right into the Civil War. He'd found Alfred, a wounded Union soldier, and changed him. He'd noticed as he watched the boy change how closely he resembled his long gone brother. Though, the insanity in his mind and the vampirism may have only created that illusion as he held no memories of his human life. Thus began his obsession. But around the 1960s, Alfred broke away from Arthur, having slowly regained his memory of his human life and his sense of humanity. It caused Arthur to snap, nearly destroying the young vampire.

It was about a decade afterwards that he met up with Francis and Matthew in Canada. Another decade would pass before the insanity would clear up. The last Matthew had seen of Arthur was the man, having finally thrown away the ratty old red uniform and trading it for a suit, as a new gentleman. Francis wouldn't allow him to apologize to Matthew. Yes, the damage had been done. But it wasn't his fault. Arthur could now see himself and the world around him. It was a time of celebration, not punishment. But Arthur declined the offer to be taught how to drink from humans without killing. He would refuse to drink from humans. Only animals.

Matthew didn't know how the other could possibly do it. He'd tried it once, only once. It was horrid. It made him want to vomit, though his altered body wouldn't allow the expulsion of blood in any form easily. No, it would be a long time, if ever, before he could do it. In a way he admired Arthur for doing it. He'd stick to what Francis taught him, even if he still struggled with it. He supposed it was his own fault. Just before reaching one hundred, his human memories began to resurface. It seemed to be a common thing. At one hundred, a newborn became an "adult" vampire. If they held a shred of humanity within them, they would regain their memories and humanity. What they did from there was up to them. Matthew, like a few others, chose to leave his sire. He grew disgusted with what he was and, ashamedly, what his sire did. He enjoyed his vampirism, embraced it even though he didn't kill. Matthew could never do that. If he were to survive, he would find his own way of dealing with his existence. It was lonely, sure. But Matthew had a growing feeling that he'd always been this way. Always a loner, ignored by most, even forgotten. But instead of the despair from being lonely, he felt safe. This was how he lived as a human, he was sure of it. As a vampire it made his life slightly easier.

Matthew's ear almost twitched as he picked up the laughter from a group of friends in the other end of the bar. A group of college kids or something. They were definitely too young to be drinking down the vodka mixes in their glasses. Those fake IDs would get them into serious trouble someday. For now… it was none of his business. Though… they were beginning to smell quite good. They, like the bartender, had been there the longest. He'd noticed their scent very easily by now. Ah, but he would not find his meal from a group, as drunk as they were. They would notice someone missing and go looking. The last thing he wanted was one of them stumbling in on an "assault". He'd rather not have to go into hiding if the police got involved. Even if he blended in well. Even so, his eyes flickered over each one in the group. They were average Americans, hardly worth remembering as they were so normal. They sported the colors of their college, which was just across the state border. Clever. Each one had a near empty glass on the table… except for one.

Matthew easily recognized the girl as the designated driver. He almost pitied her. She was a shy thing, trying to curl inwards into herself as her twin sister, if Matthew was correct in his observations, slung her arm around the girl's shoulder. Both had strawberry blond hair, almost identical in every physical feature except for the hair length. Though the louder of the twins, the one with short hair, was wearing a tank top and shorts, while the shier was wearing a red and white ski cap over her long hair, a red zipped up hoodie and blue jeans. Yes, very shy, Matthew decided. And very Canadian looking. She even sported a red maple leaf pin on her cap. Almost kindred spirits. Matthew was far from home, originally born in Canada as a human or so he believed. It was where he had been turned. It would be a while if ever when he would go back. He wondered if she was from Canada or was just a fan.

Matthew continued to watch the girl discreetly and with mild interest. He'd always found twins fascinating anyway. This one did not disappoint. Twins tended to oppose the stereotype that they were completely alike. There could be no more different identical twins than these two. The girl he observed seemed to be the more responsible one. He could almost taste the nervousness that drifted off of her. She knew this was wrong, yet she probably felt obligated to make sure her sister did not get hurt. She probably couldn't talk the other out of doing anything, so coming with her as the designated driver was the next best option.

Matthew turned his attention on his untouched drink as the girl wiggled her way out of the booth and away from her drunken sister. She walked toward the bar, already practically glowing from the freedom. She didn't seem to notice him, allowing Matthew to look out of the corner of his eye.

"C-Can I get some water, please?" the girl asked, her voice quiet.

It further interested Matthew as his own voice, when he did decide to talk, was equally quiet, though his was more soft toned. The bartender didn't hear her, making her clear her throat and try again. Finally she was given the glass of water. She seemed to like the idea of just staying there instead of returning to the table her group was at. She took a seat one over from Matthew's and began sipping at it until she noticed Matthew. Her cheeks darkened in embarrassment and her eyes darted forward.

"H-hi." She said quietly.

"Hello." Matthew responded, putting on a friendly smile though not looking at her.

He didn't want to scare her. He was, after all a stranger… especially a stranger that, unknown to her, wanted her blood. It wouldn't be difficult, he thought to himself as they made small talk. She was in a group yes, but they seemed to have forgotten she was even in the bar once she left their sight. They were very drunk. Would they miss her if she went missing for a little while? A pang of regret hit him. Would they miss her if she went missing for good? Surely so, he thought. That was a stupid question but a question all the same. If he couldn't control himself, she'd be dead within the hour.

"I noticed your hat. Are you Canadian?" Matthew asked.

"Sort of." The girl, Hannah as she'd introduced herself, said, "It's a funny story."

Matthew gave her another sweet smile, further lulling her into a sense of security. She was safe, she must have thought to herself. She was in a fairly populated bar. If he were to try anything, there were plenty to identify him to the police. Plus, he looked her age and very, very innocent. He couldn't be a bad person, right?

"Really?" Matthew prompted, actually enjoying himself now.

It was almost as if he were human again.

"Yeah… you see, my sister and I are twins, and our mother was coming back from visiting family in Canada when she was pregnant with us… she's um… actually from Canada. Well, she went into labor right at the border. There was such confusion and there was this weird storm going on and no ambulances could get there because of flooding. So one of the border guards actually helped deliver us. Mom swears I'm more Canadian while Evee, my sister, swears she's "totally American"." Hannah said with a small laugh.

"I see."

Matthew pretended to take a sip of his now warm drink. He'd learned a while back that alcohol tasted far worse than animal blood. At least animal blood was edible to him. Alcohol, like most foods, made his body violently reject it in most cases. As long as he didn't lose track of himself and drink too much, he'd be fine. It was purely for looks… and so he wasn't thrown out of the bar for not buying anything.

"So what about you? With that uniform you kinda look like a Mountie." Hannah said, eyeing his outfit.

"Ah, I was at a costume party with my brother actually. But it got kind of wild. So I "escaped" here. Little more peaceful, eh?" Matthew lied.

Hannah seemed to buy the lie. She really was too innocent for her own good.

"Oh, that makes sense. Your costume looks ruined now… oh, I'm sorry." Hannah said.

"No, you're right. I'm lucky it's not a rental." Matthew said lightly.

Both of them shared a small laugh at that. There was silence for a bit before Hannah asked another question.

"So what about your brother? Won't he be worried?"

"Ah… probably not." He lied.

He wondered if lying came naturally with being a vampire. It must have, he thought, as it helped bring in prey. Speaking of which, he supposed he should just get on with it soon. After all, if he didn't drink from her, he'd have to find someone else soon. He was growing very thirsty and if he waited too long it would be just as hard to stop. Being so thirsty, his previous reservation about drinking from someone from a group was forgotten. They were too drunk to notice she'd left the table, so they were too drunk to notice if she were gone for a while. He stomped out the guilt beginning to gnaw at him. If he played his cards right, Hannah wouldn't remember a thing and she'd come out of it a little weak and disoriented. Matthew allowed a little more red to slip into his eyes as more of his vampiric nature came out. Humans were, predictably, very easy to trick. Especially if the human the vampire was trying to enthrall was especially trusting and naive. Hannah's lids drooped a little as she was caught in the gaze, her breath hitching slightly.

"Hey… Want to go stargazing?" Matthew said suddenly.

It wasn't difficult to lead the young woman out of the bar. She was easily ensnared by his vampiric ability. She'd lost most, if not all of her free will. It was rather sad how humans were so easily stripped of something so precious. Matthew did feel guilty, but he was too thirsty to care. They walked outside into the night air and Matthew led her behind the building. They hadn't even been noticed leaving and there wasn't a soul in sight. Matthew watched for a moment as the enthralled girl looked up at the sky. The bar was out in the country, far from city lights. There were many stars out and the moon was nearly full, lighting up the area.

Matthew shuddered. He wanted to be gentle with her but he could already feel his control slipping. It was like an animal, a beast desperately clawing at its confinement at the scent of food just out of reach. His eyes were completely red now and his fangs lengthened in his mouth. He had to remember. Drink only what he needed but leave her alive. Be gentle. Don't squeeze until you hear bones snap. Matthew collected the nearly limp girl in his arms. She looked at him briefly, making that guilt flare up. Her eyes were completely empty.

"I'm sorry." Matthew whispered before he opened his mouth and bit into her neck.

Something was wrong the moment he bit. Matthew felt a faint panic but was already too far gone to care. The moment he bit into Hannah's neck, his hold over her vanished. Her eyes widened in fear, surprise and pain. Her hands pushed at his arms, trying to get him to let go, and a small scream tore out. But it was too small to be heard and her energy was rapidly fading. Her scream faded into a small sound that sounded like a groan as his hold over her returned. Her hands fell back down to her sides as her knees went weak.

Matthew tried to drink slower but the blood rushed into his mouth and down his throat. It was so good. He felt warm and the burning in his throat and the hollowness of his stomach was rapidly quelling. Blood didn't differ in taste. It was all the same metallic flavor. But Matthew found himself liking Hannah's blood. It was clean. Pure. She'd probably never had a drop of alcohol and definitely never took any sort of illegal drug. Matthew's eyes slid shut.

Blood had different effects on vampires, depending on who they were drinking from. Some blood gave a vampire a burst of energy. Some made vampires giddy, like alcohol. Some made vampires feel a burst of anger or an urge to be violent. Hannah's blood made Matthew feel happy. It was warm… like cold winter's nights in front of a fire… where his father would tell his younger self stories. Warm like his mother's pancakes. He liked this. He could remember such nice things that he had forgotten. He remembered the neighbor girl who lived a mile away from his family's farm… a sweet brunette girl who had pigtails that he liked to tug when she sat in front of him in the school house… a girl he fancied but was too shy to actually say so. He could remember learning to shoot a rifle and learning to trap small animals. He used to sell the pelts for some pocket money, which usually got wasted on maple candy at the general store. He remembered how much he loved that candy. The strong taste of maple syrup as he let it melt on his tongue. The sweetness that made him lightheaded and giddy. Matthew usually shared things readily but no one would get his maple candy. Matthew remembered various things from his childhood to his teenage years…

He then remembered signing up to become a Mountie. Men were needed to help police the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon. It had been a good opportunity to earn a living. He'd never seen his father and mother as proud of him as they had been when they first saw him in uniform. But he could never forget that worried look in his mother's eyes. That he would leave and never come back alive. That look had been right. He didn't come back alive. He didn't come back at all.

Matthew suddenly removed his fangs from the girl's neck and shoved her away. She crumpled to the ground, laying on her back and staring up at the night sky. She was still breathing but terribly weak, barely alive. He'd done it but couldn't notice this accomplishment. He was coughing, struggling with the unneeded air as he remembered. It had been so cold then. He was on patrol. He was the youngest; therefore he often got stuck with the duties no one wanted. It was late at night but he'd never saw a thing. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. His horse was shying away from everything, prancing uneasily under the reigns. But he saw nothing. He wished his lantern would give off more light but it wouldn't. Perhaps he was being silly. He was the only thing out. Matthew was about to go back when he saw something. He quickly dismounted when he saw what appeared to be a little girl.

She was barefoot, wrapped in a miserable blanket as she sat in the freshly fallen late spring snow. How long had she been out there? Her skin was so pale and her lips were blue. But even more than that… she had blood on her.

"Please help me." She sniffled pathetically in French.

Matthew kept his movements slow, so he didn't frighten her. His blue eyes were wide as he crouched down.

"Don't worry. I can help." He said back to her.

He was almost touching her when she leapt at him. It hadn't been a little girl. Not anymore. Fangs glistened in the lantern light, white as snow and sharp as a knife. Matthew let out a scream of his own as she roughly bit into his neck, forcing his collar down to expose his skin. The fangs didn't just pierce the skin; they tore as the monster gleefully attacked him. It was a newborn and it easily overpowered him despite being much smaller. It hungrily gulped up his blood, making growls to add to the loud gulping. It was so young that it didn't know how to use its enthralling power. So Mathew was conscious of every pain filled moment of it. He finally stopped struggling and lay in the snow, not having any more strength. He was going to die. And he was afraid. As the cold and numbness crept into his limbs, biting away the feeling in his fingers and toes before attacking his arms and legs, he begged to God to help him. Anything. He'd take anything. He was too young to die. Matthew could feel the tears freezing on his face as his vision went in and out. Finally it settled on a dimming blur. Black was creeping in around the edges and he found it hard to breathe.

Suddenly the little newborn released his neck. His blood coated her mouth, drenching her down to her nightgown. She let out a hiss and a growl, eyes glowing red. Her little hands gripped his shoulders hard, cracking bone as she warned the other vampire away. Every muscle in her body was twitching, urging her to run away. Run from the older vampire. But her thirst won out. Matthew weakly looked at the other vampire. At first glance he thought maybe it had been an angel. The man wore a loose white shirt under an expensive looking coat, resting on his shoulders rather than putting his arms through, black pants and boots. His blond hair was loose, reaching just past his shoulders, matching the stubble on his chin. His skin was nearly white and he walked with an air of confidence. But then Matthew saw the glowing red eyes. Another vampire.

"I would not do that, my dear." The French vampire warned.

The newborn's eyes darted around, locking on the vampire a few times. Francis looked disgusted at the newborn but also held a look of pity.

"So young. You would have been such a cute little one. But now look… a monster abandoned by their creator. Should I take pity on you?" the man said.

The newborn gave another warning hiss. One that the vampire did not heed. The older vampire quickly darted forward and lifted the newborn up by her neck. Then, just as quickly, he ended it. The little vampire's head came off with a sickening sound and a little spray of blood. He threw it away as the body began to rot, its age catching up with it to make it the corpse it should have been. The girl had been dead for a few weeks. Francis didn't seem to give it another thought. Instead he turned toward the injured young man. His face showed his remorse. He'd stumbled onto the attack too late. Now the young man's life was draining quickly, just as quickly as the blood that still flowed from the ripped bite marks on his neck. He'd been lucky. Francis had seen plenty of newborns rip so savagely that they severed the artery completely and ended their prey in moments. This one was not just inexperienced, she had been patient. An odd combination for one that had only existed a short time.

There had been so many things the blond vampire could have done. He could have left Matthew to die. He could have ended his life quickly with the flick of his wrist. He could have finished the job, instead of letting the precious blood soak into Matthew's coat and into the snow he lay in. But he did neither of those things. Instead, the vampire gently scooped up his broken body, careful of his wounds and cracked bones in his shoulders. It was as if Matthew was a hurt child. If Matthew hadn't been so close to passing out, he'd have noticed how graceful the other was. He moved without jostling him around, almost gliding instead of walking.

"Your horse was spooked. I could run…" Francis trailed off.

Matthew made no noise. He just lay limply. He could barely hear what the man was saying and none of it registered in his mind. The vampire let out a long sigh, pitying eyes lowering to the victim in his arms. The red in his eyes had vanished, fading into a bright blue, showing just how much control he had. He knew it was too far.

"I am sorry. It is too late, far too late. Can you still hear me?"

Matthew's dulled eyes slowly slid upwards, dazedly looking up at the vampire in an answer. Francis gave him a small, sad smile. He lowered his body back to the ground, laying him in the snow. Matthew was already so cold. If his body had the energy, the life, he would be shivering. None of his muscles even twitched. It was as if he were already dead. He was so close, so very close. He was growing more and more tired. It would be easy to give in, slip into the darkness. What was keeping him there? He didn't know and probably would never know. He kept fighting, somehow, to stay alive. The vampire leaned over him, hands gentle. One hand found Matthew's limp one and held it, comforting the dying. He patted it with his other hand.

"What is your name, little one?" Francis asked.

The vampire's voice was comforting, reminding Matthew of his father's voice. A small amount of red creeped into Francis's blue eyes, compelling Matthew to find even an ounce of strength. He found himself answering, though barely sound came from his mouth.

"Matthew? Hm? Then, Matthew, my name is Francis. I will give you a chance. But you must give me your answer with your own free will. I cannot and will not force anyone, be it in love or in matters of free will. I can save you, but you will become like me. Like the one that attacked you. Do you want me to save you, to turn you?" the vampire said.

Matthew could feel the world around him slipping. And it scared him. Die? No, he didn't want to die. He wanted to live! But he couldn't quite grasp what that meant… all he could concentrate on where the two words: live and die. Live or die… live or die. Matthew's fingers twitched, trying to grip the cold hand holding his comfortingly.

'Yes' he mouthed.

He wanted to live. He didn't care what the cost was, as most humans didn't so close to death. The vampire was well aware of this. But the young man had made his choice. He would not deny him a chance to keep going. Even if it wasn't living in the same sense as before. Matthew would later imagine part of the vampire's decision to turn him was out of loneliness. It was his nature to interact with others, despite vampires not being the most civil towards others of their kind in most cases. Red completely over took the blue in the vampire's eyes, his fangs lengthening.

"Then try to hang on a bit longer, Matthew. It will, regrettably, hurt. It will be over soon." Francis said.

Distracted, the vampire's influence was fading. Matthew's vision was fading as well. Fading away as his life faded. He wanted to sleep. He couldn't feel the pain anymore. He was thankful. But he was cold. So cold… that the vampire's breath seemed almost warm as he leaned over him, seeking out the vein that had been torn open. He didn't even wince as his fangs slid in. With so much blood having been spilt, Francis couldn't have enough control to do so gently. He even shook, having a hard time resisting drinking Matthew dry. With so little in his veins, futility being pumped by a weakened heart, it wouldn't have been difficult. He just needed a bit more… just a bit more…

No. That was enough. No more or he would die before he could be turned. The vampire ripped himself from the blood source with a loud gasp, similar to the gasp of a drowning man gulping in the first breath of air. Matthew was barely aware as Francis ripped his own collar down, tearing the fabric easily. A sharpened fingernail found the vein on his own neck and dug in, ripping it open and sending a river of cold, dead blood gushing out. Francis held Matthew to his neck, silently urging him to drink the blood. Blood smeared on Matthew's blue tinged lips but he couldn't drink it. The vampire growled, realizing the problem. The boy had no strength left.

Francis's eyes shone a little brighter as he tapped into his abilities once again. It would be difficult without eye contact. But he had already drank the boy's blood.

"Drink, Matthew. Drink." He ordered.

Matthew's eyes twitched back open, a fine red tint covering his pupils as the powerful vampire's will overtook what little was left of his own. This time, as his mouth was pressed to the wound, he weakly lapped it up. As he drank the blood, he felt his strength return… and with it he found himself very, very thirsty. Francis allowed it, still holding the weakened human. He knew all too well what was about to happen. Matthew soon was forced to stop his growing compulsion to drink in order to breathe. As he did, the vampire let his compulsion go, causing the red tint to fade.

The pain was immediate and unbearable. Matthew had never experienced pain like this. His whole body felt as if he was being burned alive and torn open, all the while his injuries began healing. The cracked bones mending back to normal was nothing compared to his neck healing. Muscle stitched itself back together, veins reconnecting, but it felt as if he were being torn open by the little vampire again. Matthew finally screamed, hands grabbing the vampire's shirt as stronger hands kept him from thrashing. Luckily the skin finally healed, leaving no scar behind, and no more blood leaked out from the force of the wildly beating heart. His whole body rejected the pain and the poisonous blood that rapidly took over. His body strengthened, skin, muscle and bone becoming nearly indestructible, but each one of his organs shut down. His wide blue eyes rapidly changed to red as fangs grew in his mouth. He choked as his heart beat faster and faster until… it stopped completely.

Matthew suddenly sighed, body relaxing. His head lulled to the side as his now sensitive hearing picked up the night breeze blowing some of the snow. He sat up, his sire now releasing him as he watched his creation. Matthew looked around as if noticing the world for the first time. In a sense, he was. Matthew Williams was dead. From his death came a newborn vampire with no memories of being human. In the place of memories were a new instinct and a new hunger.

"Matthew."

Matthew didn't recognize the name but he did the voice. He turned his head to see his sire. This man… this vampire… every fiber of his being urged him to be close to him, listen to every word, and do everything he asked of him. He would even die a final death if it meant protecting him. The look on the man's face was that of guilt and yet relief. It had worked… but at a cost. Francis watched as Matthew put a hand on his throat, feeling the burning that reminded him of just how little blood he had in his system. He needed to drink, to feed on blood. Matthew was drawn to the blood that covered his front more than the blood of his maker smeared on his face and Francis's neck. He would always thirst for his maker's blood, as dead as it was. But human blood would draw him even more. Even old blood, freezing in the cold, drew him in. He needed it.

The rest of the memory was blurred, still hidden from him. Now returned to the present, Matthew stumbled back from his victim. He remembered his disgust he had about drinking from humans, why he had left his sire. He felt sickened at how easily he had fallen back into the monster he had been, the monster that little vampire was. He shouldn't have come here. He shouldn't have spoken to that girl, much less lure her out to become his meal. He could have easily killed her! Like the others he had fed from. Matthew's eyes were still red but he looked over at his victim, relieved to see her unconscious but breathing. She'd live.

"I… I did it…"

Now… he had to erase her memory of the encounter… Matthew stumbled over to her prone body and crouched over her. He held a hand over her forehead. But before he could do anything, his keen ears picked up a sound and if it could, his undead blood would have froze.

"Hannah! Where'd ya go? Hannah!"

The girl's sister. Seems they had noticed after all and went stumbling to find her. In panic, Matthew ran. He was gone by the time the girl's sister rounded the building and saw her sister. But he could hear her shout of terror at seeing her sister unresponsive on the ground. Matthew was long gone by the time the ambulance came. As paramedics checked the girl over, her eyes opened. She looked up, dazed and confused.

"Hannah? Sweet heart can you tell us what happened?" they asked her.

Hannah took a deep breath, feeling a bit panicked now that she was awake and surrounded by people she didn't know as they wheeled the gurney with her on it toward the waiting ambulance.

"I… I… this man…"

"Did someone attack you? Please, sweet heart, we have to know if that man hurt you and what he looks like."

Hannah looked even more confused.

"I… I don't remember… What man?"

Hannah's eyes looked over each person before landing on her sister, who was begging to come with her twin sister. The police were far from amused that she and her friends had fake identifications and were drunk. But the officer dealing with her let her come over to her sister to check on her.

"Oh, Han! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!" she cried.

But Hannah just looked at her, confused.

"Who… are you?"

Far from the disturbance, Matthew finally stopped running. He ran a hand through his hair. That was a close one… but he hadn't gotten to erase her memory yet! His shoulders slumped as he began walking again. Looks like he'd be going into hiding or get out of this state all together. And he'd been so lucky that he hadn't killed her. It was the first human he'd fed from and not actually killed. He'd have to try again and try even harder.

Author's note: Thanks for reading! I started this almost right after writing the short about Alfred and Arthur but I had the worst time finishing it. I've been super busy and really uninspired lately. I haven't been able to write at all for a long time! Because of this I don't really like how the ending is but I'm going to leave it. Someone out there might like it. I plan on doing a few more vampire origins before doing an actual longer story but I can't promise anything. If I do it won't be on this collection but as a separate story. Feel free to comment on how I can make these better. Or how to shorten this. Alfred's story was five pages on Microsoft Word. Matthew's is eleven. Have a nice day!

Edit 7/10/ 16: It was brought to my attention that I didn't explain why Hannah doesn't remember her sister. I'm still thinking of how to incorporate this into this short story so I'll leave the explanation in this note for now. In my vampire universe, each vampire has a special power/powers that help them to get prey, defend themselves or prevent discovery. They range from simple things from speed, changing appearances, and even magic. Age plays a part in how powerful this ability is or how many. Matthew is barely 100, so his isn't so powerful, whereas Francis's is stronger. Matthew's power causes his victims (anyone he bites) to forget him completely and in rare cases, causes the victim to develop amnesia like symptoms which are not permanent. I guess I was thinking about putting it in and didn't actually explain it. My apologies. That's why Hannah doesn't remember her sister. She remembers who she herself is but doesn't remember people such as her sister and what happened with Matthew. She'll be fine... eventually.

Edit 7\10\16 #2: Ugh... need to stop thinking of things I forget to mention. I promise this is the last one I'll comment about here. All vampires have a capability to erase their victim's memory using a type of magic coupled with having drunk their blood. Matthew's is stronger than this ability as he only needs to bite whereas other vampires have to touch the victim's forehead and manually alter the memory. Also fixed the spelling error in the notes. My computer isn't working so well right now.