The wind howled as she made the trip toward her home, but the young mother of two was not going to get there on this night. Victoria was being followed. She was being followed by one who not only sought to make her his prey–but his mistress. The year was 1790 and she tried to hurry but people along the way kept stopping her, wishing to converse a bit. As darkness fell, the dark one awakened. He could almost hear her heartbeat even from his crypt.
His name was Marius Caldwell. He had died three days prior, but the whole town knew he was insanely jealous of a man named Stephen Wexley. He had married Victoria three years prior and every day and night Marius dreamed of being with no one but her. Nobody knew the circumstances of his death, but Stephen had been concerned about Victoria being out late at night coming back from her parents home. Her brother Darren was with her tonight but turned back as she neared the path leading up to her home.
Her blond locks fell gracefully as she loosened the cap in anticipation of entering the gate. As she smiled upon entering the front gate, the thoughts of her two children, Lilly and Jeremiah prevailed on her mind. She looked forward to taking them to the river for a picnic with Stephen the next day. Marius, Stephen’s cousin was spurned by her father when he had approached about marriage.
“For one, you are too old for my daughter.,” her father began, “And for two, Stephen Wexley had already approached me long ago. They’ve been friends since childhood.”
This made 16-year-old Victoria feel better back then. Stephen totally loved her and she him. They married two years later.
As she began the walk up the path, she heard rustling in the brush. She turned to get a glimpse, her petite frame keeping steady as she resumed her walk. As she turned she thought she had seen a figure in the brush again. She then quickened her pace…She felt a chill and stopped to turn around and there he was.
Before a single scream could escape her lips, he overpowered her and took her back through the woods. The more she fought, the more he seemed to enjoy the moment. He decided to take his time as he carried her into his lair. After she screamed and kicked him he pulled her face to look into her eyes.
“Enough Victoria!” he said to her. She then fell into the trance he longed for. This power of his was something he found to be amazing.
“I see your thoughts, but after tonight, you are mine–as it should have been. You will not fight me any longer.” he told her. With that he kissed her. He could see her thoughts and was angry that all of her thoughts went straight toward the man she married.
“We’ll see how long that lasts. You will find that there are advantages to being damned to this existence.” he told her as he began to remove her clothing. Blood was not all that he hungered for.
“Please don’t do this–my children need me–”
“The children that should have been mine? Thank your father for this.” he thought to her in response as his cold hands caressed her warm breasts, and her heart raced for fear. He then tore her skirts from her so that she stood before him completely naked.
“I will take from you now what was denied me in my life–and you will be mine for as long as I walk this Earth, Victoria Wexley. You will live as I live and come to me when I beckon you to do so–unless I get killed in the mean time.” he said.
Despite his handsome features, he knew she was repulsed by his touch. The tears rolled as he drove her into a forced frenzy and violated her more than once.
“Please let me go…Stop…I’ll tell no one, I swear it. Just let me go back to my babies and my husband.” she pleaded in her thoughts.
“After tonight I AM your husband–as it should have been all along.” he thought to her as he looked into her blue eyes.
“Don’t worry,” he told her, “After your first feed, you will not feel this way any longer. I can make you forget your former life in time.”
As he violated her one last time, he saw the fear in her eyes as he allowed the creature that he became to reveal itself to her. The red eyes were the last thing she would remember seeing as he once again put her into a trance that she could not break free from. She wanted to scream but only silence prevailed as he sunk his fangs deep into her small neck. Once he drained her he told her, “In three nights you will come to me .”
As she lay dying, with her last breath, she made one vow: “Not one member of my family will be touched by this existence and you will never have my heart–that is what you wanted.” Once she passed, he dumped her naked body by the river and threw her clothes beside it in a rage. “I own you now. All of you.” he hissed.
The next morning, one of the neighbors who had been asked to help find her discovered her body and covered it with a jacket. He then found the other clothing.
Stephen was devastated when he got the news. The shock and the numbness that followed would result in his parents moving back into the estate to help with the two children. Lilli and Jeremiah were only two years old and five months old . Stephen was a handsome man. He was tall with sandy colored brown hair. His eyes were brown and very intense. Once he got the news, he demanded to be taken to her body.
“But Sir, you don’t want to see her as she is–”
“You say a creature attacked her. What makes you think I will believe that knowing that her clothing was removed?” he asked as the tears ran down his cheeks. With that Stephen left his children in care of the maid and went into the town. At the doctor’s clinic he was taken to her body. The doctor explained that she had been attacked and her blood was drained from her.
“Was she violated also?” Stephen asked.
“I am afraid so, my boy. I am so sorry that this has happened. She was a very sweet and kind soul.” the doctor said as he put a hand on Stephen’s shoulder. She was buried within two days. The rumors flew all over town that strangers had done this to her.
“Why?,” Stephen asked himself as he stood weeping over her grave, “I would give my very life if it meant that you were here right now instead of me, Victoria. I should have accompanied you myself.” he whispered as the service ended.
Three nights later, Victoria did rise again, only to find Marius waiting.
“Very Good, Victoria. No we will walk under the light of the moon and feed together.” he said.
“No I will not!” she yelled.
With one look, she knew she was weak and couldn’t resist him.
“My dear bride, you will do whatever it is you are told. I promise you that.” he told her.
“Her will is her own, Marius.” another voice echoed as she was released.
“Wha–you cannot interfere!” Marius interjected.
“You have misused what you have to harm this woman with no cause.” another older vampire said as he appeared.
“She is mine! Rightfully she is mine!” he said.
“No Marius. I created you and you betrayed me. Victoria go in peace. Do as you will.” the older one said to her.
“I cannot have my life back–”
“Then decide the course of your current existence. That is far more than what this traitor gave to you. Had I been here, you would never have been harmed. For that I am truly sorry. Now go while we deal with this one.” he said.
“We?” she asked.
Then many more appeared.
“We do not kill among the good and we take animal blood. He betrayed his covenant with me which would have meant peace between the families. We are not indiscriminate. You may join us one day if you like.” he told her. She walked away and went toward her former home.
One of them was behind her.
“If you change Mr. Wexley, you are as bad as Marius.” the girl who once lived by day told her.
“I have no intention of feeding on him.” Victoria said.
“Visit him as a ghost. You have the power. He sleeps now.” she told her.
“What will happen to Marius?” she asked.
“He will perish. They will see to that. Our clan takes animal blood. There are deer over there and horses over in that area.” the girl told her.
They went together toward the deer, which never sensed danger. Victoria’s friend showed her how to feed and then Victoria fed. The moon shone brightly above and the breeze seemed to be more fresh than before to her.”
“Your senses are heightened, my lady. You will find that when you visit your man, the passion for you will be heightened so you must feed well before going in there lest you harm him when he ignites your passion again.” the girl said. With that, Victoria fed again on another male deer.
The branches banged against the window of the 2nd floor bedroom that Stephen and Victoria shared. When she entered, she saw their portrait next to him on the bed, a bottle of brandy next to his hand and a glass on the floor. As Stephen slept, his position told Victoria that it was she that he reached for.
She appeared as a ghost would with the moonlight at her back. Stephen briefly woke to see her there.
“Victoria! Oh God!,” he began as tears formed again, “I am so sorry I didn’t escort you myself–”
“It was not your fault, Stephen. I am alright. I carry your love always.” she said.
“Don’t leave me. I would rather have a ghost than nothing–”
“You will find another, my love. One day–”
“No! I will not! I want no other and I knew that years ago! Please, I beg of you to stay.” he pleaded.
“I will only come to you in this realm–your dreams.” she said.
“Then so be it!” he said as he approached her and touched her now cold skin and kissed the lips that once were red and warm.
“You’re cold. Come over here.” he told her as he guided her to their bed.
Each night afterwards she would come. Each night he would make love to her. She saw her children from time to time but never made her presence known to them or held them. By the time Lilli was seven, she only came to Stephen in their room.
The years passed. There came a day when Stephen was merely content to hold her. He was old now. The children had married and moved away. One night she came and waited outside for the maid and their children and grandchildren to leave. She already knew that he was dying and losing him was causing her pain as well…
“You still mustn’t condemn him to this.” her friend told her.
“I won’t. But I will be there when he goes. I promised–”
“IF he decides to be with her in that existence, it is entirely their decision, Maribel.” the older one told them.
“How did you know to come–”
“My dear, I created your tormentor. His thoughts led to you. I can see your thoughts, Victoria. If he decides on his own to be with you, it is alright to change him.” he told her.
“This is no life for him.” she said.
“As you wish, but if you change your mind, it is permissible in this circumstance.” he told her.
She shook her head. “I have to watch them all for centuries die. I will not put him through that for I love him far too much.”
“Vic–” Stephen whispered.
“I am here, Darling. I promised I would always be here.” she said.
“I will be with you soon, my Love.,” he told her, “It won’t be long–”
“You will sleep soon. Just know that I have always loved you and will carry that with me for many centuries under the light of the moon.” she said.
“We will be together again, my love. You will see. The powers that be sent you to me so we’d always be together.” he told her.
“We’ll see, Darling. Now rest–”
“Love, you Vic–” he whispered as his voice trailed off. Within two more minutes he passed. She quietly kissed him and they all fled. She knocked over his glass to make sure the maid overheard that part before fleeing.
It began to pour down rain that very night. Just before the clouds covered the moonlight, the clan could hear Victoria’s weeping in the wind. There were no words, just the cries of torment and mourning.
“Have you told her what you foresaw?” Maribel asked the elder one.
“No. It is not time. When it is time, she will know the purpose and such. Time will be set right, or she will come to terms with this existence.”
Victoria fed on wild animals and visited the family crypt regularly, crying for Stephen each time. Then she went dormant 150 years later–after the death of her last great grandchild. The story of her murder spawned legends. The ones about her and Stephen’s undying love always moved her.
Then one night she heard Stephen’s voice. “Victoria, rise.”
“You can’t be–”
“It is alright my love. I know everything now. You must come out of the crypt. Your help is once again needed.” he told her.
“But I watched you die–”
“Victoria, you watched me die in a different time. Rise now. There is much to be done for the sake of our relatives.” he told her.
With that she opened her eyes and sat up. She saw him there looking exactly as he did when they married–only in modern clothing.
“How can this be–”
“I will explain later. Come. We have much to discuss.” he smiled as he offered his hand.
© Tina Thomas-2012-All Rights Reserved
Do not reproduce or use without express permission.
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