Prologue - Meeting Godric
"En vampyr är aldrig i händerna på sina känslor. Han dominerar dem."
The rain was pattering against the window, heavy and hard. Marilyn walked over to the ancient cash register and smiled at me, her wrinkled skin stretching, her red lipstick slightly smudged. She was old, very old, but she still looked after herself as if she were my age. Her blonde hair was twisted into a updo-hairstyle, similar to my bun. She took the bar of chocolate from my hands, scanning it and frowning in concentration as she tried to read the price.
"Em, would you mind running down that aisle and grabbing that slim black box for me? I can't see nothin' without my readin' glasses," she frowned, scratching her head.
I spun on my heels, walking down the aisle, searching for the mysteriously well-hidden box. Someone entered, the bell at the door ringing twice and the sound of the sign saying 'open' or 'closed' slamming against the window of the door, to let Marilyn know a customer was here. He walked too fast – at least, too fast to be human that is. I doubted Marilyn was used to having vampires in here, because she jumped when he suddenly appeared at the counter. I had to admit, I'm weary around them, being a 'blood-bag' and all, but that's because Dallas is a big place. It's filled with them, really. At night time the city is crawling with them in certain vampire bars, whereas in other areas they're never seen.
"Do you have any TruBlood's? A Negative, preferably?" the vampire asked quickly, his voice dark and depressive.
His hair was sticking up everywhere, probably because of the rain and from running his hands through it. He seemed desperate, his eyes dark as he scanned the room and spotted me. The ghost of a smirk crossed his face. Cold, calculating and…lost. His skin was as pale as mine, but of course, since I had warm blood it wasn't exactly the same.
"I'm sorry sir, we don't serve that here," Marilyn whispered.
The vampire let out a frustrated sigh and growled deeply. "What, you don't 'serve my kind' here, in this little shithole of a store?" He took a menacing step forward, to which Marilyn calmly stayed strong.
"Sir, this is my store, and it is not a 'shithole'. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," she breezed calmly, not breaking eye-contact with him. Wow, she had some nerve to do that. I would've peed my pants facing such an angry vamp.
"Fine, whatever. Shithole," the vampire cursed, turning and storming out. Not before he passed the aisle beside mine, only some fruit and canned food on a shelf separating us. He gave me a…smile, of sorts. But it was a much darker, self-absorbed sort of smile. Like he had found exactly what he was looking for.
He left, the 'open' sign hitting against the window and the bell ringing as he slammed the door. My eyes, I realized, were as wide as saucers as I'd watched him leave. Shaking myself from that daydream, I walked back to Marilyn after picking up the glasses and handing it to her.
"Gee Marilyn, you had some guts."
Marilyn's eyes trailed from looking at the door, to me, and she almost deflated as she let out a long, deep breath and laughed hollowly. "It ain't guts sweetheart. That was pretty darn scary if I say so myself. He sure had some ants in his pants!"
I chuckled at her choice of words and nodded. "Suppose. Maybe he's just…I dunno, thirsty?"
Marilyn nodded and took the glasses, putting them on. I could have just told her how much the chocolate was, but then Marilyn would have been looking for her glasses for hours after I'd left.
"Thanks Emilie," she smiled as I handed her the due amount. Only a dollar or so, nothing too much. She hugged me before I left, telling me to make sure I kept in touch with her. Dallas was a big place for someone like Marilyn, used to small towns and still trying to figure out how to work something as basic as the ancient cash register. That thing was truly old, she'd had it since I was a kid, honestly.
"See you later, Marilyn!" I waved, locking the door after me and heading towards my car. It was black, sleek and reflected some of the light from the store. I yawned. Jeez. I'm tired and it's barely 10 o' clock, so much for being an eighteen-almost nineteen year old. Lame.
Pulling my keys from my grey jumper, sighing because it reached my tights and I had to juggle my chocolate and try not to drop it, I hummed an aimless tune to myself. Well, I did until I was slammed against the car forcibly, dropping the chocolate and keys. Grunting, I turned to face this attacker, thinking someone was trying to mug me at first.
They weren't; it was the vampire.
He grinned at me, his fangs extended. "You'll have to do."
I squeaked, meaning to sound tough and unafraid of him. "Back off, you creep!"
"That's no way to talk to your new Master," he replied, rolling his eyes. "That's just rude."
I was building up a scream in my throat, loud enough to startle Marilyn, maybe get her to call someone for help. I was desperate, anything to get this vampire away from me. Just as I was about to let it out and thrash against him, he hit me. Right in the centre of my stomach, knocking all the air from my lungs, the scream vanishing completely and making me crash to the ground. He caught me though, wrapping his arms around mine and pushing me against the car.
"No so fast. This will take up some valuable time."
"Get away from me," I winced, intending for it to come out as a threatening growl. Unfortunately, it hurt to breathe in too deeply. He was so cold. Freezing, and he bent down to look me right in the eye.
"This has to happen. I'm bored with being alone. I need a companion," he said simply.
This was why I was going to die – because he was bored, was it?
It hurt, so badly, when he kept hitting. He was careful to make sure it wasn't entirely hard enough to break anything, or kill me. He was planning on turning me himself, laughing when I let out a cry. God, he hadn't even bitten me yet and everything burned with pain. I managed to kick him, when he had been so focused on twisting my arm, which only spurred him on. Eventually I couldn't even see straight.
"Finally. Took much longer than I expected," he sighed, as if he were the one who had been beaten up. I wished Marilyn could see me and call for the police, or someone, anyone to help. But Marilyn was half-deaf, she probably didn't hear a thing.
He lowered himself to the ground beside me as I choked on a little bit of blood in my mouth.
"This will hurt me more than you, you know," he said, smiling, the hint of a European accent in his voice. "It'll be hard to stop. Your blood smells great. Really delicious."
'Oh gee, thanks Mr. Vampire,' I thought bitterly, clutching the gravel on the ground.
His fangs came out again with a sharp click, and he grinned once at me before raising his head, all ready to bite me. The world was going grey around me, and I didn't really care anymore. There comes a point when you're in so much fuzziness and pain that you don't care – at least that's how it was for me.
And then, just as he was about to bite me, his head was snapped in a split second. That was it; he was dead, and he slumped beside me. His eyes looked brighter now, as they turned cold and dead. I stared into them, unable to look away. All humans do it, when they see something horrible, they find it hard to look away. Instead, they stare with wide eyes and dropped jaws in shock and horror.
"G-Godric," a voice gasped. "Won't you get into trouble for that?"
"I am Sherriff of this area," another replied in a solemn, dark accent. "He was killing this human. I acted upon my better judgment is all, Isabel."
"Stan is going to be mad that he missed this," the voice now called 'Isabel' murmured to herself.
"Go, Isabel. Find Stan and return to the nest. I will…deal with this mess," Godric responded. I think that's what Isabel called him, though it was kind of hazy.
"You mean…" Isabel trailed off, almost afraid to say what I think she was referring to. Turn me, of course.
"I suppose I'll have to. My blood wouldn't heal all of this in enough time. She has lost far too much blood for that. He made sure of it," Godric replied through gritted teeth. "Go now, Isabel. Do not make me ask again."
"Yes, Godric."
There was a whooshing sound, before I felt a cold hand – though not as freezing and rough as the other vampire's – turn me over on my back to face him. I stared into his eyes, dazed, confused…scared. Afraid. Terrified. My heart was still hammering – which I hope is a good sign, really – though it wasn't as quick as it should be. It was slowing down.
Quite suddenly, Godric's fangs extended. He was beautiful anyway. Not like this other vampire, even if he had the same pale skin. His eyes were grey in the light, sad and soft, and his mouth was in a frown as if this pained him more than me, his dark hair covering his eyes slightly. Rain dripped from his hair, to his nose and down to me. It was still raining? I had been so concerned with the pain I hadn't noticed.
"I apologize for what he has done to you, ma'am."
I choked a little as I laughed, and Godric raised an eyebrow. "Ma'am?" I murmured weakly. "Not ma'am. Emilie."
"Then I am sorry, Emilie."
I nodded, though it was not his fault at all.
"I must turn you," he said. "You would be a…companion of Death just as Eric was."
'Who is Eric?' I wondered. I found it hard to focus on Godric, feeling like I wanted to sleep. Hm. Dying outside of Marilyn's sounded less than glamorous, even if she was quite glamorous at times herself, if I'm honest.
"Once again, I am sorry Emilie."
Then, in the sudden silence with just the rain pattering, he bit me, and made me into a monster.