Memoirs of a Vampire Countess: Lilly... Lair of a Vampire

By DC Johnson

My name is Lilly of the former Moon Coven and Clann Sanctum nests. I don't remember my human existence as I was turned as a young child. I am now forbidden to all, as child vampires are not allowed. Unliek all others of my kind, I live in constant fear of losing my very existence every time I step outside my lair. I am about to tell you a story, one you will not likely believe. The story is of my plight to seek what most of you humans take for granted, which is freedom to live your life like all others of your kind. I also wish to live in this manner, as my kind do, fully as one of them. The atrocities that happen to me will astonish you in ways unimaginable but also cause you to curl in fear of my kind. If you follow my journey, you will see why I had to do it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Feb 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466915527

DC Johnson

DC Johnson is a Minnesota author and music lyricist who uses her training as a Mental Health Therapist to reach readers of all ages. She has written playful children's stories to stories about the dark world of vampires. Her vampire series brings you to a time past and lays in your lap a world you will not want to leave but would never choose to enter. It brings together new dark gifts, tempered blood lust, forbidden desires, and chilling realities. Each book in this series continues the journey of the Moon Coven, but each is through the eyes of a different vampire countess, bringing you twists that will surprise even the most accomplished vampire readers. Her first book in this series released in October 2011. Her second book in this series released in December 2011 and subsequent books will be released throughout 2012 and 2013, leading up to the movie based on her first vampire book in 2013. DC is also publishing a children's fantasy novel entitled "The Secret of MeadowBrook Orphanage" in early 2012 and is co-writing a children’s Christmas story with Rowan Creations to be released in 2012. For the latest on DC Johnson's books and movies, go to www.DCJohnsonBooks.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1  

First Introduction . . . Again . . .

My name is Lilly. I was born to a human mother who I cannot remember because she was taken from me when I was too young to understand. She consorted with the kind who would bring her ‘evil delights’, in exchange for physical pleasures she would lavish upon them. The ‘delights’ I speak of are many. Many of these delights seem to hold great power over many of you humans. The delights my human mother partook of were those which often caused her to sleep deeply, sometimes even cause her to see and hear things that really weren’t there. You feel as though you are floating above your own body. Well, that’s how it has been described to me anyway. Not a particularly pleasant way to spend your short human lives, I would imagine. I have been told that once you humans partake of these pleasures, you commonly find yourself unable to resist them again and again. I really can’t say myself, as I have never , nor would I ever, consider such a way of spending my time.

I digress; back to how I came to be. I was stolen, or perhaps I should say rescued, by one who became the only mother I have ever really known. I say stolen, because that is how a magistrate would describe it, but rescued is how I would describe it. If Isabella, my night mother, had not taken me, I would surely have perished from starvation. You see, my human mother lay dead, in the very room I would have died in as well. It was a room she rented from an Innkeeper, in a town called Helena, in the state of Montana. It was described to me as very run down. These were the rooms in which lived the kind that made their coin from deeds they would rather not speak about. I was found one night, and taken, by Isabella. We fled from Montana, making our way to Minnesota. Since then, I have been bitten by a vampire, turned into a ‘forbidden one’, and now must be vigilant in staying hidden. If I am not, I will be killed as soon as it is discovered I am still alive. I say ‘forbidden one’, because I am a child in the sight of any of my kind who see me, simply because my body does not age as my vampire mind does. I was bitten and turned when I was a six year old human child, so I am forever stuck in this child sized body. When I leave my lair, I must take great pains to do what it is I need to do, without ever being seen. In truth, I am no longer six years old, I am much older. How old? I will never reveal! I do not wish any to know, only because my true age will never suffice in the eyes of my kind, while within this small body. So, you see, no number will ever be great enough to be of help. I fear it will only be used against me in the end. The one thing I may have in my favor is that none can ever know for sure what my true age is, so none can dispute me if I simply say I am quite old.

Since I am vampire, I can only go out at night. Sunlight will kill me almost instantly. Therefore, I can only go out when others of my kind are out. Since I am forbidden, I will be killed as soon as they realize I am not a human child. And since I am relegated forever to this child sized body, I must also obtain other tangible pleasures I desire, in secret. Sometimes it is from shops around town after they have closed up. Children are not treated as adults are, when making purchases. One would quickly grow suspicious of a six year old with so much gold or coin, making such adult purchases. Creating my lair was no easy task either, I can assure you. I had to pay human men to complete things, without their ever seeing me. And once the job was completed, I had to kill them, so they could not speak of my lair to anyone. It is such a complicated, and messy, yet necessary ordeal. I don’t suppose you humans can imagine.

So I suppose you are wondering why I’m writing all this to you, if I desire such secrecy. The truth is, I don’t really know. Part of my writing is due to Isabella, and remembering her writings to you humans, and my night sister Cori’s writings to you as well. After Isabella was taken from me, Cori was instructed to resume Isabella’s journal to you humans. Now that Cori has been taken from me as well, I must resume both their writings, which I will pen in this one journal, as well as learn of being Countess. The other part, I must confess, is boredom. I miss the night and its adventures. I didn’t get to experience many of them as fully as I would have liked, when it was safer to do so . . . when my night mother, Countess Isabella, was with me. I was forever being hidden, protected, and distracted . . . just to keep me out of sight of those who would do harm to me. I do venture out though, and I do have everything I want. Well . . . I have everything except the company of my kind, so I suppose this is the final reason I write. I am not exactly alone here however. I do have an animal with me but no others. Being alone is sometimes desirable, but when you live forever, it is not so desirable after enough time passes. I have two human sisters, but I do not know if they are alive or dead. It is my intention to seek them out when I feel the time is right. I know it will be soon but not until I have planned my way carefully. There are things to consider when one is a vampire, but even more when one is a forbidden vampire. I must carefully plan where I will lay while in my dark sleep, where I will feed, and how I will contact these sisters of mine who are not much bigger than I am . . . if they still exist. They are still seen as human children, so they will also have no rights as to whether or not they choose to leave with me. I am the only child I know who can come and go as I please, but this is only because I am not human.

For now, I simply prepare my lair for when my human sisters are finally here with me, and until then, work on my plan for finding them. My lair is in the middle of a heavily wooded area. I am in a city called Minnetonka, on the edge of Lake Minnetonka. Near me is a coven, run by an old master named Ronald. He is no threat to me, as he does not know I exist. I am quite sure he has heard rumors of my existence, but has also probably heard the rumors that I was killed by ones called ‘The Vanauckats’. I am sure he believes rumors of a vampire cat no more than of a forbidden one such as me. It is my hope that he passes these rumorings off as simply that . . . rumors. I should tell you about the Vanauckats too. The Vanauckats were a mistake . . . a horrible, deadly mistake. Here is how they came to be.

I was taken by Isabella, as I have told you, while still a human child. One of the places we stayed, while I was human and while we were on the run from Isabella’s former coven, was a farm here in Minnesota. Isabella had killed the farmer who lived there, so that I might have a safe place to stay, and that she might be protected from the sunlight during the days. On the farm were many animals. Several of them we took with us when we left, since the farmer was dead anyway. Two such animals were kittens. One was for me, and the other was for Cori, a night sister of mine who was also turned when I was. The night Cori and I were bitten and turned, much of our blood spilled on the floor. The blood that spilled was both human and vampire. The kittens somehow drank of the blood on the floor, becoming a sort of vampire cat breed. As if that was not bad enough, one of them then bit into a human servant that was part of our nest, infecting her as well. We unknowingly started a breed of human-cat-vampires . . . . unknowingly, only at first. Isabella named them ‘Vanauckats’. ‘Va’ represented the vampire part of them, ‘nauc’ for night, and ‘kats’ for the cat bodies that passed the infection. The human part of them is always visible, as they remain in human form . . . although some of their purely human features somewhat altered as they slowly became more of what they were.

The Vanauckats had to be eliminated so the Moon coven attacked them one night. As it turned out, Moon and Sarah (once being our two human servants) had survived. Sarah was the other human servant we had, who had also been infected, shortly after Moon had been. She became the ‘leader’ of the Vanauckats. They kidnapped Beth (another of my night-sisters) and, in the end, Beth killed them both. Beth had drank of blood of an Ancient One, which was contained in thumb rings that Isabella gave each of us, her night children. This gave Beth the power to steal other vampire’s powers. It was through this blood that Beth was able to bring an end to the Vanauckats. We had been attacked by them once before, and they nearly prevailed. Perhaps it was just luck that it ended as it did, I do not know. Attacks and battles are common in the covens I was a part of. However, I do not wish to know even one more during the remainder of my night existence. I mentioned the blood of an Ancient One, contained in thumb rings . . . . I will get to that soon.

For now, there is another attack I should tell you of . . . the one that caused me to be where I am now, and quite alone. This one was by the Lilydale Coven, when it was still under the rule of one known as ‘Master Levi’. One night he attacked us, and I hid my small body with its useless child-vampire strength, in a secret room within my chamber. I crawled out through a hidden passage into the night and into safety . . . with the animal who is with me now. When I returned soon after, there were none there, except dead bodies. I decided that I had better leave quickly, never to return for fear of being found, and find a new place where I could remain safe always. As to those of my original Moon nest, I think them all dead. Countess Cori, who was the next in line for the title ‘Countess’ after Isabella, renamed us ‘Clann Sanctum’. I am fond of both coven names, so don’t be surprised if I refer to both of those names often, in my journal to you humans. I am thinking of a new name for my own nest, as I think this is how it is to be done when one takes over as new Countess. For now, I am the last remaining member of the Moon/Clann Sanctum Covens. As remaining Countess, it is up to me to rebuild the nest, and I intend on starting with my sisters . . . if I can find them. I do not know what their lives are like, but I am sure they are far worse than mine. I intend on making things better for them, even though it will be quite different from anything they are used to. No matter how different, I know one thing for sure, we will finally be together . . . as we should have been all along!

I tire of being alone but I’m not really alone, I never have been. I have always had some sort of a ‘pet’. My former pet cats, ‘Tiger’ and ‘Ice’, are not alive anymore. It would be good to have them here with me but that is not to be. I have, in their place, another pet, quite by accident. Beth brought him to me. He is a male dog, a St. Bernard, and I have named him ‘Time’. He is my only companion and probably the only true companion I will ever have. None who are adult male vampire would even consider having a goon who is forever trapped in a forbidden, child sized body. However, one day they will have to accept me as a vampire equal, as I intend on living forever. Well . . . I intend on living as long as my vampire body will hold me. Our powers do not grow weak with time, but our bodies do, through decay and rot. I suppose this is kind of like your human aging. For now though, I think of only three things. I think about finding my sisters, readying my lair for their arrival, and my next feeding.

I brought with me, from the nest in Lilydale, things which my former Master PJ and Countess Cori, had stowed away in a sack, hidden safely in my secret room. One of these things is a journal from one named ‘Master Levi’, who is responsible for taking the lives of those of my former nest. Also inside is an urn, which I took because I liked the pretty colors. There were ashes inside it, but I dumped them out when Time and I were escaping Master Levi’s attack on the Clann Sanctum Coven. I also have something I believe to be of greatest value . . . six vials of blood! These are powerful because any who have them can turn any human into one of my kind. This means that I, as a goon, temporarily hold the power of six male vampires. This is how I will grow my nest, but I will choose carefully who may belong. Any others who are bigger than me may try to overthrow me, as I have seen happen in my earlier goon days, while under the protection of Countess Isabella in the Moon Coven. Countess Cori renamed us Clann Sanctum, instead of Moon Coven, as she desired Countess Isabella to have closure to her dark life. The name fits us, as it is traced to the language of the Ancient One, whose blood we hold in our shamrock shaped rings. Clann means ‘a group of’. Sanctum means ‘a private place none can violate’. We were a group of vampires who wanted something different . . . and we found it within the former nest of another of our kind (Master Levi). However, our private place was violated, and by its former occupants. But all were killed, all of their nest and my former one . . . all except me. So I have decided that the name no longer suits me, nor would it be appropriate for those I create for my own nest.

I do have to go out to hunt, but I find that my drink comes to me often enough. It is the door that lures them to me, as I have said. I had this door made for me by one of your human granite craftsmen. On the center of the door, although it does no good to describe it because it is hardly noticeable, is a slightly raised crescent moon. It is symbolic of the moon coven from which I originally came. In the middle of the moon, is an even less noticeable ‘raised’ shamrock. It is the one symbol that I know any of my Moon nest will immediately recognize and investigate. I sense that one or more are out there alive, but I have no reason to believe this is true . . . perhaps instead it is simply the desires of a lonely goon. I suppose I am only technically a Countess now, if the others are indeed dead. It is coven law that the eldest goon in a nest is Countess, and since I am the only goon left, it applies as much as it would if I were surrounded by younger goons. Mind you, ‘eldest’ does not mean the human age of their body when turned; it applies only to the one in the nest who has lived more years as a vampire than all other goons in the nest. I will expand my nest, but I will make all new ones, so I remain eldest. I will also do this myself, and without the aid of another male vampire, but instead, using the vials of blood. I fear that a male entering my nest, dethroning me as Countess, and taking over my lovely lair, is far too high a possibility to even take that risk. Oh, to have a human servant though! Anyone at all . . . but a human would do nicely, just for someone to feed from and talk with! However, I am better served by my pet dog, Time, as my only companion . . . for now.

Chapter 2  

Lilly’s Lair

I suppose I should explain the inside of my lair to you somewhat. The shiny polished door is the only way in and out right now. I am working on a tunnel which will grant me safe passage to the night. It is autumn, so digging is not difficult, as the ground is not yet frozen hard. The tunnel is in the back of my lair, and is hidden within my private chamber. That is proving to take a little more time than I first anticipated. I do not have the strength a male vampire does, nor do I even have that of any adult vampire. The tunnel will lead out to a dense thicket in the middle of a wooded area none would enjoy perusing. This makes it quite safe for me. The thicket is so dense that even I do not desire to go there, so surely it makes the best choice when wanting to keep a tunnel entrance secluded from all who might pass by. Outside of my personal chamber is a corridor shaped like a horseshoe. My chamber door is the very bottommost center of the ‘u’ shape in the horseshoe. There are other chambers to my right and to my left. Beyond the ends of the corridor, is a large room I call the ‘fire room’. It is called that because I had fireplaces fashioned on all walls. I despise the dark and the cold, and the fireplaces make up for both . . . as much as is possible anyway. It also helps keep it dryer, so the rot does not set into my small body. I also have candles everywhere in my lair. They are large, pillar shaped candles, about a foot wide and about four feet tall. They are nearly as tall as me, and stand upright on the floor, acting as their own little lampposts in my world. I had them specially crafted for me, by a monk in a monastery close by. Ironic, I suppose, that one of the cloth helps light the way for one of the dark.

Beyond the fire room is another room which has corridors to the left and the right. Between the corridors, and in front of the fire room, is the granite door that leads straight outside, into your human world. The door, as I have already said, is built into the mouth of a cave. This is why, you see, it garners so much attention from any who pass by. This is how I manage so many meals that find their way to me. Oh, the story is pretty much the same. A human sees the shiny, polished door. The human gets curious and enters my lair. The human makes his presence known by asking if anyone is here or just by wandering around. The human is invited by me to come further in to ‘talk’. The human eventually realizes it is a trap, but by then it is always too late! The human becomes my meal, and I need only await the next one. Up close, I am such a strange sight. They do not doubt for a moment that something is quite wrong, but I know not if they think I am wrong . . . or the circumstance is. Whichever it is, I often find my meal comes to me, and it is all because of the lovely polished granite door.

But back to my lair. You now know the granite door leads out of my nest. The corridors to the left and right hold rooms that I use for storing things. Some items within these rooms I take from cities and towns. These things keep me entertained while stuck inside my lair. There are also several rooms filled with chopped wood. It is never a problem to find a willing woodcutter to cut and fill the rooms in trade for gold. However, I say that I keep the gold at the far end of my lair. So when he enters to collect his due, I really only say this to draw him deeper in, where I make a meal of him. Often times I manage to find out where he lives and then I take from his home what I may want or need as well, since he will likely not be using it again anyway. If he has a family, I always make sure to leave them great wealth and a letter that says he has died from a tragic tree falling accident. Isabella taught me to make sure I make up for whatever I can, when I wrong someone. I do that . . . usually.

Tonight I grow weary of my lair and desire something different in my evening. I dare not go out too often but have great need of it at times. Tonight is one of those times. The last time I was out, I saw papers boasting of the greatest carnival and freak show on earth. I am going to go see it tonight. Most of the show will be over by the time I am able to be out in the night, but at least I will see something new, even if it is only for a little while. I hate missing out on everything! Perhaps I will find one to add to my nest tonight. I am most eager to try out one of the vials of blood that Master Levi collected, which I now hold as my own, as eager as I am to have a companion! If the blood does not turn my selected human, I will end their life by drinking them to their death. I stand to gain . . . no matter what the outcome is, whether it turns out to be a companion, or a meal.

I have a cloak I wear when I go out. It is a long, green, flowing cloak with a large hood. I wear a veil sometimes, as did December, one of my former Moon Coven members. He wore a veil because his dark gift was one that would erase the mind of any human and most vampires if they looked directly into his eyes. I cover my face as I do not want to risk anything giving me away to one of my kind or to any human hunter. I have never seen a human hunter but I don’t think that I should like to! I have been told I am a natural beauty. Red heads, especially red heads with green eyes, are becoming an exotic rarity . . . at least, that’s what my night mother, Isabella, used to tell me.

I should tell you about my dark gift. It is one that I have yet to see, or hear of, in any other of my kind. If my anger is greatly aroused, I can light my victims on fire by sheer willpower. I do not know how this happens; I just know that it does. I am working on a more focused control of this power, as my anger sometimes gets the best of me. As well, I have learned that I can use this gift from quite a distance. My aim is quite perfect, so whoever is in my sights, and my wrath, is surely done for. Sometimes I practice by lighting the candles or the hearth in my lair.

It is eight o’clock, and time to feed. I will don my cloak and leave soon. Every time I wear it I sense as though something exciting is about to take place. Perhaps it is simply because it means going out into the night. Tonight will surely be no exception, I can sense it! I will feed while making my way to the traveling freak show. I know this is another irony! There will be many freaks at this show. However, I will be the only true freak and the only one not on display. I am okay with that though. I have never been to a freak show but have heard tales from PJ and Salem (my former night brothers). They’ve seen just about everything the night has to offer those of my kind and have nearly been around the entire world.

Chapter 3  

Half Companions

My first kill tonight went smoothly. I saw a woman walking my way. I skipped down the dirt path as a child would and then pretended to fall when she was close enough to come running to help me. I purposely fell, letting out a false wail then grabbed my ankle. As I knew she would , the woman came running and crouched beside me, asking if I was hurt. Part of me wanted to look at her and ask, ‘What do you presume? I fall and wail and you ask if I am hurt?’ But she was doing what I wanted her to do, so I wailed louder. She put her arm around me and I turned my body into her embrace. She pulled me closer and that was when I knew my meal was secured. I bit into the large vein in her neck, sinking my fangs as deeply as I could to ensure a firm hold in her flesh. Then I held her tightly with my arms, so that her struggle would be more difficult. She fell to the ground, landing on her back. I landed on top of her, my fangs still imbedded in her neck. She was howling now, calling me a monster and demanding that I go back to the devil. I nearly smiled. If she only knew that the lack of care by her humankind was to blame for my becoming the monster I was now! I sucked harder, enjoying her rich, sweet blood. She was a plump woman, stout, and full of rich blood. She was a human who ate well , I could taste it. I would have little need of feeding further until after the freak show was over, since she was a meal that would tide me over for quite some time.

I dragged her body into a creek and watched it drift out a ways, then sink some, weighted down by the water in her clothing. I never worried about anyone suspecting she was bitten by a vampire, as they would guess something simple instead, such as a snake. I might have the body of a child, but I have the mind of one much older. I am more aware of what is truly a threat to me and what isn’t, more so than any might imagine. I suppose I should be more concerned but who would be able to find me anyway! And if they did, they would never live to tell about it. I had only a mile or so until the carnival, so made my way there with the speed only a vampire can know. I slowed when I reached the clearing. There were wagons, tents, caramel apple sellers, and hot cider booths. I flew through the gate that one is supposed to pay an admittance fee at, and did it quickly so I would not be seen entering. If I was only privy to the last few hours, I certainly would not pay a whole day’s admittance fee! I then stopped to peruse the area and choose my first pleasure. I decided upon a small tent where a man was loudly proclaiming, Come and see half a man and half a lady . . . right inside! One coin is all it takes! Witness this amazing spectacle for yourself to know it is real!

I walked toward the man then used my goon speed to fly inside without paying. Inside the tent, people were staring at a wooden cage with bars, holding two very small humans captive. The two small humans had their back to the audience. I read the minds of the humans and they were enraged. They didn’t like at all that they were considered freaks. Nor did they care to give the audience their money’s worth. At once a door inside the cage swung open, and a man with a whip stepped inside. He cracked his whip, causing the two humans to jump to their feet and toddle to the other side of the cage, where they cowered with fear.

"You will do as you are told!" the man with the whip said.

The two small humans looked toward the crowd, shaking with fear and humiliation. I was surprised, this was never a part of the stories I had heard about, regarding carnivals or freak shows. I was angered at the treatment of these two humans. I suppose it was because I now understood how they felt.

I walked to the cage and said to the little human, "Would you like to be set free of your dark cage?"

The small human looked at me but said nothing.

"If you would like sanctuary and release from this life, look for me at midnight, but be prepared to serve me for a year."

I turned and walked away, realizing I could easily find a meal or two in some dark corner here. I managed to find more to drink than I really wanted, but drank as much as I could anyway. Within an hour, I had mastered the ability to drink one dry in a tent full of humans, without being seen. I would enter in a crowd, stand in the back, then ask to be picked up. I would then bite into them while covering their mouth so they could not scream. It worked very nicely I dare say! I would then roll the body under the wagon or under the cloth skirt of the booth. The night was dark so the bodies would not be seen until daybreak. I would not even need to dispose of the ones who I drained; the townspeople would do this for me!

Eventually the carnival began closing for the night. Soon the crowds had gone. I was hiding under a wagon of supplies in the middle of the carnival yard. I needed to see where everyone was going to be sleeping for the night and I needed to keep an eye on the wagon of half humans. It seemed that the workers would never be done with their endless carnival tasks. Supplies were moved, animals were fed, and supper was had. Finally the night was free from these roaming humans and their activities. I crawled out from my hiding spot and walked to the wagon where the half humans were. I entered cautiously, expecting them to be asleep. I was quite surprised to find them sitting at the end of the wagon, waiting for me.

I approached them.

"Do you wish to be freed of this prison you are bound in? I asked, Know that it comes with your promise of servitude to me for a short while."

The woman held her finger to her lips, while the man begged me to hush, but both nodded their desire for freedom from their current prison. I nodded my understanding. I flew to the back of the wagon, breaking open the lock on the back of the door, and watched as the two humans slowly made their way down the steps. The woman beckoned both myself and the half man to follow her. We did so. She led us to a larger tent with several wagons inside. These wagons were not the ones I was used to, as these had living quarters inside. The half woman toddled up to one, placing her ear on the outside of the door and listening. After a moment, she nodded to us and smiled. We followed her inside. The wagon was elaborately furnished.

"What do you seek?" I asked her.

My home! she replied, "There is a horse in the back, my horse, and it can pull us out of here. I don’t know where we are going, but I know walking is too difficult for either of us." (She was referring to herself and the half man who was with her.)

I wandered out of the wagon and into the tent that their wagon was under, found a couple horses, and brought them back to the wagon. I did not know which one belonged to them, but they had each earned a horse for enduring their years here. Having hitched them as a team to the wagon, I let the two humans know that we could leave when ready. The male said they should go now, but quickly, as their leaving would surely wake the others and cause a disturbance.

"We must leave quickly or we will surely be caught!" the woman said with grave concern showing on her face.

"I hitched two horses to your wagon. Their speed will easily be swift enough to outrun a bunch of unprepared carnival humans!" I said with slight irritation.

They lived in much fear, these two half humans, and tonight it would end. I would see to that.

I took the reins from the male, and ordered him inside, saying, "It will appear a robbery if I am seen driving your wagon out of here. None will see you or suspect you. None know where I live, so we won’t get caught! As well, only I know the way!"

I waited for him to enter the wagon then brought the reins down hard on the horses, startling them to an immediate gallop. They took off like a shot in the night. We barreled through the rope gate that allowed entrance to the carnival, rounded the corner to the dirt road, and headed toward my lair. As we broke through the rope gate, I saw many within the carnival come running to see what the commotion was about. By the time they figured it out, we would be long gone.

We arrived at the wooded area that led to my lair. The wagon would never make it through the dense trees and bushes, so we had to hide it behind some brush and cover the top with branches. Surely anyone passing through would take it . . . if it was left standing in the open.

We walked the short distance to my lair, and upon seeing the shiny door, the half woman exclaimed, Ohhh, look at the door M’love!

I turned the silver handle and stepped back, inviting them inside with all the airs of a gracious host. I could see both of them staring around in complete surprise. I doubted either had seen such magnificence inside any dwelling in all their years. That was what began me wondering how old they were, but this I would find out with time.

I turned to them and invited, "Why don’t we come into the fire room and get to know each other. We will be spending a lot of time together . . . after all."

They followed me in. They sat on a nearby settee, not far from the davenport where I was. They seemed genuinely interested in who I was and what might follow. Perhaps it was gratitude, or the first exciting moments of freedom, I don’t know which.

After we were all settled in comfortably, I opened the conversation, "As you recall, I desire your servitude for a bit of time. I offered you your freedom in exchange for your promise of this. You did agree, and now, here we are. What I require is one year of your servitude, after which, you may choose to leave or choose to stay. I care not which you choose. If you choose to go, I will make your way as comfortable as possible for the remainder of your lives. If you choose to stay, all that I have is yours to share, in exchange for your vow of human servitude. None shall cage you again; none shall harm you, as I will be your protector as much as the others were your captors."

The two looked at me, their questions showing in their eyes.

What are you? You look as a child but not as a child. You speak as an adult but look not as an adult. Are you much like us somehow? the female questioned.

I answered, "I am as you are . . . rumor made truth. In other lands your kind are but a rumor. In your land, I am but a rumor, as you have not seen one of my kind before this night. We are only rumors to those who know us not, so made truth only when we are revealed. The truth of my existence is not like yours however. My existence exacts only panic and fear, and even worse, it makes for those who would desire to do away with me. Your task will be to protect me as I, and only I, am able to protect you."

What are you? the female asked once again.

"I am Vampire. I live in the night. I eat of your kind, but not like your kind, nor with them. I cannot live in the sun, as you can. I must live in a body like you do but my body is not as yours is. I was human once, as you are now, but I was child. Now . . . my mind is as yours is, but my body remains a child size, as yours does, but will never age, as yours only will." I replied, knowing it would not answer all their questions but provide them with enough information without scaring them off.

I needed them . . . far more than they needed me . . . right now anyway. With time I would reveal more to them, but for now, I needed to make sure they would make peace with what little they knew of me this far.

What would you require of us, in this year of servitude? the male asked.

"I require that you do all my tasks that can only be done in the sunlight, as well as the tasks I will reveal with time regarding locating two humans who I desire to make contact with. They are my human sisters and I sense they still live. I cannot request council with them in this child’s body, so you must make contact with them for me, and arrange a meeting in secret. Whoever holds these two, must never find out about me . . . or my whereabouts." I answered, still trying to appease them with an answer, but still not wanting to give too much away.

Why do you have need of these two? the male asked.

I have need of them as they are of my human family, and I desire to offer them the same freedom I have offered you. I answered.

The two nodded their heads, only now better understanding the situation.

Where are these two sisters of yours now? asked the female.

I know only that they are in Montana, and I wish to be crafty about contacting them and quickly bringing them back here. I answered, not holding any more information that I could offer up.

And you wish us to do this for you? the male asked again, now becoming greatly interested in this new adventure.

I wish you to accompany me, keep me from the sun, and help me bring them safely back here. I would be indebted to you for as long as you live, and my gratitude would be paid in full to you and your companion. I answered, letting them know there would be a great reward for this service, But first, tell me who you are. What are your names and where do you come from?

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Booker and Granella

Chapter 4  

Booker & Granella

The male spoke, "I am Booker, and this is my wife ‘Granella’. We are from Walnut Grove in Minnesota. We lived with our parents all of our childhoods, until we came to be with the freak show you found us in. My father was a scientist who wrote about the smallest living creatures on earth, both animal and insect. I spent many hours reading all that he published for the scientific communities and for schools who would buy his books. Granella’s parents were bakers and she grew up learning their trade, but none would employ us even if we had been apprenticed to any. Those of our kind are only left to die or are committed to asylums if we hold none that would care for us. My parents came to her family’s bread shop one day and this was how we met. My mother saw Granella playing in her family’s shop and I was with her while my mother was doing some shopping. Granella’s parents were surprised to see another like me, so they soon became fast friends with my parents, as did Granella and I.

We grew up together from a young age. I am now in my early thirties and Granella is in her late twenties. We spent many hours in the bakery shop of her parents, when we were not in my father’s study, reading all the volumes that my father had written from years of his research. Had we been seen as normal children, which we should have been, we would have been thought to be very wise for all the things we had learned from our families. However, this was never to be, we are only seen as burdens to society, or as a mere side show to bring coin to another’s pockets. We eventually married, with our parents consent, and decided upon living in Granella’s parent’s house. They had a larger house than did my parents, and my father’s research caused any available corners of our house to be filled up with papers and books.

One day I was sent a telegram, saying my parents had died when the ship they were traveling on sunk. They were returning from a voyage to study more creatures that my father had planned on writing about. We moved into my father’s house after word of our marriage and the loss of my parents had been made known to the townspeople. All who knew of us, left us to our own lives, which was a far better life than most like us would ever have been able to know. Granella’s parents kept us safe, and since they were full grown human adults and not like us, none bothered us. None, that is, until that fateful day when a traveling freak show passed through town. Granella and I were at her parent’s bread shop helping with the day’s work, when the owner of the freak show stopped in to buy bread. He saw us and stared at us with what seemed like sheer delight. I passed it off as curiosity, as I had not known then what a freak show was. He talked with Granella’s parents who explained our small size and that we were not any different than he, except much shorter. He learned that we lived in my father’s house by ourselves. Had I known then what his mind held, I would have taken Granella and fled for another country if needed. Alas, I did not know. When the day’s work was done, Granella and I left for home. That evening, the same man broke into our house with several others, tied us up, and put us into a cage on wheels. We later learned that Granella’s parent’s bread shop was burned to the ground, with them in it. We have been imprisoned ever since, until you found us and set us free from bondage."

Time had settled on the floor next to Booker, eagerly awaiting the random pats on his head. Booker now sat very solemn, his head hung from the painful memories that he shared. I watched them closely as they continued to speak of their human childhoods, the first time they learned few others like themselves were to be found, and of the human bond that brought them both together. I tried to imagine myself in their story, as though I was the one that had experienced what they described. It didn’t work very well, as I could only imagine myself as the vampire I am, and what I would have done in that moment, which was far different than what they had done. It was in this moment that I realized the one thing that made us truly different. It was not that I was vampire or that they were human. It was not the desire to have the life I wanted, instead of the life imposed upon me. It was my dark gift that made us truly different. I had no doubt that had they the powers I had, they would not have gone through what they did. My dark gifts were the only reason I lived, and lived by my own choosing, unlike these two humans before me.

I can give you something that will never again cause you to fall victim to those humans and their whims, should you desire it, but only after your year of servitude to me. But you must know it also comes at a price. I offered up, somewhat impulsively, I knew.

But I also knew that these small humans deserved their safety as much as I did.

Granella looked at me and asked, What is it you could possibly give to us that would keep all humans from taking advantage of us? They have strength we do not, stature that we can never hold, and worse, others like them who would willingly assist them in their endeavors against us!

"I can give you what you need to protect yourself against all those things . . . and more. I answered, full of my vampire pride, But remember, it also comes with a price. You will be as I am, unable to walk in the sunlight, unable to pass through a crowd of humans as other humans do, and unable to return to your human world and must live as I do in secrecy and darkness."

It sounds like nearly all the things we deal with already! Booker quipped irritated.

How is it you give us these things? I know no possible way that these things can be given to any, let alone two like us! Granella replied, a mixture of hope and doubt in her face.

I have a drink that can bring you these things!" I smiled as I watched their faces.

They looked at one another then back at me.

I would take of this drink should you be serious! Booker said to me, his small face quite serious.

Well then, it seems we have an agreement. I answered, But first . . . for the year of servitude, and the tasks that come with it.

You desire of us to find your two sisters and bring them back, this much I know. Is there anything else you require of us? Granella asked, trying to clearly define what would be asked of her.

That one thing I desire above all other. Anything else will only have to do with the survival of all three of us and Time. I answered back.

What do you mean . . . ‘Time’? Granella asked.

Time . . . is my pet, my dog. He too is to be protected. I answered.

Well then, what is it you would have us do first to find these sisters? I should like to get started right away. Booker urged, "Anything new to occupy my mind would be a great relief!"

Chapter 5  

The First Task . . .

I could tell he was relieved to know he would be free to do as he wished with his beloved in a year, yet also curious as to how they would spend their days in the meantime.

"How are we to be of service to you in the human world? They think us freaks! You saw them for yourself! There are none who will take us seriously! Granella worried aloud, And what is to keep us from being recaptured by another human and taken from this place you promise our safety in, or to keep me and my husband from being separated?"

She had a good point!

Worry not, I will make sure that your tasks will be ones that would not cause any to want to harm you. You will appear as free labor to those who I need you to learn of, and when the time is right, I will make sure you are safely taken with my own sisters! I promised them.

How do you intend this to work? asked Booker.

"I will have you go to the place my sisters are, and offer to help with whatever they might have need of, in exchange for free room and board. Within that time, you will learn of certain things; who is in charge, the best times for escape, and all the humans involved. I will find a way to meet with you nightly, or as often as possible, and then we create our own plan to leave in the night. None will ever suspect that you wish anything but food and lodgings, as none would ever suspect any others to ever have need of you. To them, you will be disposable and desperate to serve them for lack of apprenticeship or better situation. None would suspect you to have any other plans, as none would suspect there be anything better for you! Yes, you will be perfect! And . . . you will be safe! They would no more want to do away with free help, than do away with any human servitude!" I ended, reassuring them that all would be well and letting them know that their task would be short lived.

Well then, shall we get started? Booker asked, clearly somewhat intrigued by this idea.

We can, indeed. I answered, pleased by their interest, "The sooner we finish this, the sooner the easier tasks of simply living can begin. First, we must go to Montana and see where they take their lodgings. I know my human mother is dead, so she will not be of any hindrance to me. My human father is also dead, so he will be of no consequence either. I know not if both of my sisters live but I sense that they do. I know Countess Isabella found me in Montana, in a town called Helena. This is where we must first go, but must also find there, a place safe from the sunlight for me. We will take that wagon of yours and travel by night in it. It will serve us well, as it is a house on wheels. It would appear that you are a stroke of divine luck in my dark world. Find whatever you need or wish to bring with, as we will not be back for some time. The door to my lair here, must be well disguised by brush and trees, so none enter and take it as their own while we are away. Not that it matters any, as I can deal with any trivial humans! But if they are vampire, my days may very well be as numbered as your would have been, should you have remained in the cage with those I found you with! Go now! Collect what you desire to bring with, find what is needed to conceal the door to my lair, and make your way to the wagon. I will soon be there myself, after I collect some things needed to ensure our survival."

Booker and Granella toddled off to do their bidding and I went to one of my storage rooms to collect a few burlap sacks that I would fill with supplies I knew they did not have in their possession. In one bag, I loaded candlesticks, as I knew there would be need of many when keeping account of all events in my journal to you humans, and for light when darkness fell. There was no hearth in their wagon, although there was a small stove for cooking, which would lend light and warmth. In another sack, I loaded much of the wealth I had collected from those humans who fell prey to my nightly hunts. We would have no shortage of coin or gold, this was for sure, and necessary! In the last sack, I loaded many of the things by which to pass my time. I had grown accustomed to packing such items over the past few years. I loaded, once again, trinkets and journals, activities and books, and other such things that would keep me occupied for long hours. I did not want to