Act One Chapter Four - Bloodletting

Michael’s alarm blared loudly, violently driving away the bliss of dreamless sleep. He propped himself up to see the time. 8:00am. His first class would be in an hour. Or would it? What day was it?

He rolled over and the memories of the previous 24 hours came flooding back with a vengeance: the letter, Karl’s “broke up” comment in the Shadowrun game, the phone conversation with Rebecca’s accusations and her confession, the long walk around the dark campus, and….

The final memory sent a shudder through him. Had that really happened? Had he truly forced himself upon Deborah? Had he really raped her? But why did it seem that she didn’t mind? What was it that she’d said? “Do it? Do to me what you’d do to her?” or something like that. Was that consent?

Even if it was, or had started out as such, he knew she could make an accusation stick. He’d been rough, vented all his anger and frustration onto her petite form. No doubt she was battered and bruised. Had he come inside her? That would be more evidence. And on top of that, she might conceive.

“You got back late. Everything all right?” It was Corwin.

Michael tried once more to bury his confusion, but now with his fears, it was even more futile that before. Still, he was able to muster an answer. “No.” he said truthfully.

“Look, I’m sorry about Rebecca.”

“As a lot of people told me, it was bound to happen. How went the game?”

“Good. We found Mal in the end. Got loot. Got experience. I’m not sure Shadowrun is for me, but I might be convinced to play again sometime.”

“Cool.” Michael sat up on his loft and began to slowly climb down. His body hurt, partly he knew from his lack of sleep, but some he suspected was the after effects of what he’d done to Deborah. “I’m going to get a shower.”

Corwin returned to whatever he was doing and Michael gathered up his things. He headed down the hall to the dorm showers, hoping the cold water would help clear his head. It did, and as he stood there under it, his perspective drew into sharp focus. There was no changing what had happened. If Deborah chose to press charges, she was certainly within her rights, and he knew they could throw the book at him.

Once again, his thoughts drifted to suicide, now with the added incentive of guilt. Now he began to dwell on logistics. If he were to do it, how? A gun? He didn’t have one of those. Pills? Nothing in his personal medical stash was lethal, although he was certain he could make himself quite sick by overdosing on them. Jump off a cliff? Where was one? A building maybe? Slusher Tower perhaps? But how would he get inside without being noticed. The top of Burruss Hall? Same problem.

Michael was getting frustrated with himself. Most of these problems could be overcome, but he was too cowardly to try. He turned off the shower, dried off, got dressed, and returned to his dorm.

Despite the cold shower, his physical exhaustion soon overcame him, and Michael simply crawled back into his bed and fell asleep again. Some hours later, he was awoken by someone pounding at his door. Abject terror seized him, but then he heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Michael, you in there?” It was Boar.

“One moment.” Michael climbed down and let him in. Mitch was with him.

“Hey, how you doing? I heard…uh….” Said Boar. “your girl dumped you. Mitch told me.”

Michael nodded grimly. He found it odd that losing Rebecca now seemed the least of the weights upon his heart.

“You need a distraction.” Offered Mitch.

“Last night’s game was meant to be one.” Reminded Michael. “I left early, remember?”

“You may be a game geek, Michael, but a role-playing game is hardly a fitting distraction. Gives you too much time to think.”

“So what did you have in mind?”

“Swords, armor, and the three of us going up to the Roanoke SCA meeting to bust some heads.”

“They’d let us do that?”

“Sure, I know the people up there. Practice with them all the time over the summer when the Tech group is on hiatus. Come on, get your stuff. Just imagine each of your opponents as the guy who stole Rebecca from you.”

“That might be dangerous.” Said Mitch. “But try not to do it when I’m your opponent.”

----

Michael had fought the fiercest he ever had. After only a few hours, the Roanoke group asked them to leave, he’d been so rough. Michael didn’t care. It felt good to vent his anger and frustration.

They killed a few more hours at the Valley View Mall, looking for anime videos for Mitch’s collection. They found several and Mitch made some purchases.

“Got lucky on tips the other night.” He offered.

“Lucky again.” Observed Boar.

“Say, laughter is the best medicine. A few eps of Ranma ought to help cheer our friend here.” Mitch replied. “But I’d avoid Orange Road.”

“Sure, I suppose. Just so long as I can drink.” Said Boar. “As always, Michael, you’re welcome to the stash.”

“You may regret that invitation, Boar.” Said Michael glumly.

----

Back at Boar’s apartment, Mitch set out to show off some of his anime. The Ranma series he spoke of was something of a martial arts comedy, and Michael admitted that had he been in a better mood, he might have enjoyed it more. But his mind returned to its grim thoughts.

“Here. If you’re not going to watch with him, then drink with me.” Said Boar, offering a glass filled with a tea-colored concoction.

“What’s this?”

“Something I think you’ll like. Got enough booze to kick your ass.”

“I think my ass has been well and goodly kicked already. What’s it called?”

“Long Island Iced Tea. Just remember, there isn’t any tea in it.”

Michael took a chug and the alcohol hit him like a ton of bricks. But he had to admit he liked the flavor. “Woah.” He said.

“Hey, Mitchie, I think he likes it.”

“So, the plan is now to get me blitzed?”

“Something’s got to break you out of this funk.”

“You might find it to be not so easy.” Said Michael. “I got blue balled at Homecoming and moped around for two weeks. This is far worse.”

“So that’s what had you so quiet after you got back from your trip. Well, I think I know just the solution.”

Michael felt a surge of fear. “What are you doing?” he asked timidly.

“You just drink.” Said Boar as he darted into the kitchen.

“I do not want to see her.” Said Michael.

“If not Deb, then who? I’m sure we can find someone else.” Mitch half spoke to Michael and half to Boar in the other room.

“Yeah, I think we can give him quite a selection.” Came the reply. “Party time!”

Michael kept to his drink and it was not long before folks started showing up. Many of them were SCA people that he knew from the club and a few others from his role-playing group like Karl and Geoffrey. But there were also girls: blondes, brunettes, fat, thin, short, and tall.

The apartment began to fill with party guests, but Michael kept to himself, sitting on a corner of the sofa and nursing his 3rd (or was it 4th?) Long Island. He was quite drunk.

One of the girls bounced over to Boar, a giggly buxom brunette. “So, Boar, what’s the occasion?”

Boar motioned towards Michael. “You see the sullen one over there. We’re trying to cheer him up.”

“He’s kinda cute. Why does he need cheering up?”

“Got dumped.”

“I think I know what to do.” She sauntered over to Michael.

Michael gave her an indifferent glance as she came over. “Hi, my name is Kaylie. And you are?”

“Drunk.” Said Michael honestly. His speech was well-slurred.

“My favorite kind.” She slid up next to him.

“I think this one’s more my type.” Said another voice.

Michael stood up straight with a start, his glass dropping to the floor. From behind Kaylie came Deborah.

“Deb.” Said Michael. Any sign that he was inebriated was gone in an instant.

“So, let’s talk. Come with me.” Her tone was forceful, but not hostile.

“Ok.” Said Michael meekly. He followed her outside on to the very lawn where she’d first propositioned him nearly two months earlier.

Deborah lit a cigarette and kicked off her shoes. She walked around in the grass. “You’re taking all this awfully hard.”

Michael stared at her in disbelief. He’d been expecting an accusation, an insult, a slap in the face. Anything but a comment of concern about his break-up.

“I guess last night wasn’t enough." she continued. "I suppose part of that was because you ran off so soon…”

“Ok, I must be more drunk than I thought. I'm remembering last night a whole lot differently than you are.”

“Oh, and what do you remember?”

“I…” the words were difficult to come by. “…forced myself on you.”

“No, you didn’t.” corrected Deborah.

“Excuse me?”

“I gave you what I thought you needed, a chance to vent your anger, your frustration.” Continued Deborah. “The fact that I finally got fucked by you is just a bonus. I came back tonight for more, if you’re interested.”

“I must be losing my mind. I know what I did.”

“You did precisely what I wanted you to do.”

“I thought I hurt you.”

“I can assure you that I’ve had far rougher than you. Trust me, darling, you’re not capable of hurting me, not that way. I asked you to do it, don’t you remember? Do to me what you want to do to her? I did say that and you followed through.”

“It was all a setup?”

“Of sorts.”

Michael let out a sigh of relief. “I thought I was in so much trouble. I thought…”

Deborah cut him off. “Now, be honest. You liked it?”

Michael shook his head. “Not like that.”

“Then how?”

“Gentle, loving. The way it should be.”

“Like this?” She walked over, stood on her tip toes and kissed him. She broke off the kiss quickly and he nodded. “Remember how I said I knew you? I stand by that. You’re not a hard read, Michael Allens. This,” she gave his cheek a gentle caress, “is both what you offer and desire. But so many either can’t see it or have openly rejected it.”

“But not you.” Observed Michael. “No, I did the rejecting. You offered both affection and opportunity and I spat in your face. You even let me do what I did last night without a bit of anger or bitterness. I seems no matter how hard I try, I fail…at everything.”

“Not tonight you don’t. Come with me. Let me drive away all those bitter thoughts. Let me offer you something you can barely imagine.” She took his hand and placed it on her breast.

Like a dog on a leash, Michael let her lead him down to the parking lot and to her car.

----

Michael tossed aside the covers and walked over to the window. Outside all was silence. At nearly 4am, even the college town that was Blacksburg was subdued. He looked back at the bed and saw Deborah’s nude form lying there peacefully. He shook his head, amazed at the events of the past two days.

He returned to the window and dwelt on those thoughts. His contemplations were interrupted by Deborah. “A penny for your thoughts?” she said. He jumped, startled, since he had thought her deep asleep. “Sorry.” She added.

“Should I sell them so cheaply?” he mused. “Given all that’s happened lately, I suppose that’s the best deal I could get.” His tone was grim. Deborah made no comment.

He walked back over and sat down on the edge of the bed. “These past few hours have been incredible, unbelievable. You, this, us. But what happens now? The hole inside me is still there, and as much as I love being with you, you’re still not her. Nothing’s changed. And lust is a poor substitution for love.”

“So what does happen now?” asked Deborah. “What do you want?”

“What I wanted most in life. And now it is what I cannot have. So now I wonder. I’ve been wondering about it for almost two days. Is my life over? Should I just, you know, put a gun to my head and kill the pain, end this farce that my life has become?” He looked at her intently. “You may regret asking what I’m thinking.”

She shook her head. “No, you’ve said nothing that’s surprised or shocked me. But let’s be honest. You’re not the one you really want to kill.”

Michael felt a twinge of anger and slowly nodded. “That little prick Shawn. His punk brother. Oh, if I let myself go…” he paused, as if dwelling on the thought.

“And Rebecca herself?” added Deborah. “Others may have offered the thirty pieces of silver, but she’s the one who took them. She’s the one that betrayed you.”

Michael shook his head. “No, I couldn’t. Not even now.”

“The line between love and hate is thin indeed, and she has crossed it. You offer your loyalty and honor to one who has proven herself utterly unworthy of it. She’s no different than the men you mentioned. And you know it.” Deborah’s tone was both harsh and compassionate at the same time, a tone of truth-telling.

“So what would you have me do? Kill them? Are you for real?”

“What’s stopping you?”

“You have to ask?”

“It’s what you want.”

“Life in prison? No, thanks.”

“What does it matter anymore?” said Deborah. “You said yourself you wanted to die, wanted to commit suicide. Why not take a few with you?”

“You’re out of your mind.” Yelled Michael, jumping to his feet. “You’re serious.”

Deborah paused for a moment. “What if I told you I could give you what you wanted?”

“So what are you, Deborah? The criminal underworld boss of Blacksburg?” mocked Michael incredulously. “You going to send some thugs to do them in?”

“No, not criminal. Something more. Allow me to demonstrate. Some light perhaps, will make this easier. Sit, let me show you something.”

Michael sat back down and expected Deborah to turn on the lamp on the bed stand. Instead, the overhead light flashed on. Deborah was standing by the door.

Michael nearly jumped out of his skin. “What the…How did…”

“Get across the room so quickly. I walked. But that’s not all I can do.” She walked back over slowly and held up her left hand. “Let’s see. Perhaps two fingers will be enough.” She held up two fingers and hooked them under the foot of the bed. Then, effortlessly, she lifted the foot of the bed, with Michael still sitting on it, off the floor.

That was too much for Michael. Fear gripped him and he rolled off the bed and dashed for the door, heedless of all else save the need to get out of that apartment.

Deborah was in his path before he could even reach the bedroom door. “You planning to leave without even your clothes?”

Michael stopped and skidded on the tile floor. His legs went out from under him and he landed hard on his rear. “What are you?” he stuttered out.

“Calm yourself.” She said. “If I’d wanted you dead, you would be. I’ve at least five times your strength and speed. In response to your question, I was once human. Just like you. But now, I’m something more.”

Michael just stared at her and said nothing, his breathing heavy from terror. Deborah knelt down. “I could give you this. Make you like me.”

“What’s the catch?”

“You would have to cut all ties to your previous life: Parents, siblings, friends. You would be forever denied the warmth of the sun. And you would have to hunt, each night, for human blood.”

“You’re a vampire.” Michael could hardly believe what he was saying, but what he had just witnessed was undeniable.

“That is what the old legends call my kind. We prefer the term “Kindred”, but yes. That is what I am. And that is what you could be, if you accept my offer.”

Michael stood up, still shivering in fear, but he seemed to have control of himself. “You wouldn’t be offering this out of the goodness of your heart. To make me a monster like you. What’s the real reason?”

“I need your help. Someone with your skills, to help me defeat one of my enemies.”

“So I’m to be cannon fodder in some sort of vampire war?”

“No, but a soldier, yes. If I’d wanted cannon fodder I’d have picked some poor soul at random from the crowd. But you, with what you’ve learned through the SCA about sword play and your martial arts, you are far more than fodder. Far more useful.” She paused to let it sink in for a moment. “The deal is simple. You help rid me of my enemy, and I’ll help you gain revenge on yours.”

“And kill them?”

“If you want. Kill them, ruin them, drive them mad, whatever you wish. Leave them alive perhaps with the ruins of what they could have been,” offered Deborah, “just as they did you.”

“And if I refuse?”

“The door is behind me.”

“What’s to stop me from telling others what you really are?”

“For one, who would believe you? And two, if you do, I will kill you. And don’t think for a second you’ll escape me. Just as my strength and speed are enhanced beyond human norms, so too are my senses. Wherever you go, I can track you. You will never escape me.” She looked at him with a gaze as hard as stone. “You already know this. I found you last night. I’ve found you every time I’ve wanted.”

“So that’s what this is all about? From day one, you’ve not been wanted to fuck me, you’ve been wanting to recruit me.”

“The fucking is an added bonus. I said we have enhanced senses, including touch. Makes the pleasure all the greater.” She smiled. “Oh, and on that note, you should probably consider in your deliberations another vampiric gift that I’ve not yet mentioned. One you have already seen at work, although likely didn’t know it.”

“Your beauty.”

“More than beauty. The ability to walk into a room and have every eye turn to you. To make every person there want to be you or with you. To make every dick harden and every pussy wet just by your very presence. You felt it, I know you did. You wanted me from the moment you laid eyes on me. In fact, I’m actually pretty impressed you resisted as long as you did.”

“So maybe being such a ‘Churchboy’ wasn’t a bad thing after all? It made me more interesting.”

“Indeed. The hunt was all the sweeter.”

Michael thought for a moment. “I could use this power on Rebecca?”

“Oh, certainly. Have what you always denied yourself before. Have her gushing between the legs just by you walking in the door, begging to go down on you. You could have your way with her, do whatever you like, before you deliver whatever coupe de grace you have in mind.”

“And all I need do is kill this enemy of yours?”

“Help me kill him, yes.”

“Then I accept. Make me like you.”

Deborah nodded. “I warn you. This will hurt a bit.” Then faster than he could see, she was on him. Her weight knocked him back to the floor and he skidded several feet. He felt a sharp pain in his neck. Fear grabbed him again, but only for a moment. It vanished and was replaced with a sense of peace and pleasure.

“What you are feeling,” said Deborah, pausing from her feast, her face now covered in blood, “is what we call the Kiss. It will make your future victims far more pliable.” She dove in again. Michael gave no resistance.

After a few seconds, she came up again. “You have now drained to the point of death. If I do nothing else, you will die.” She sat back. “So how much do you trust me, Michael?”

Weak and barely conscious, Michael could do little more than reach out, as if to grab her. “Very well.” She said, cutting her wrist with her fingernail and making it bleed. “Drink and join our world.”

The first drop that hit his tongue seemed to invigorate him. He sat up and grabbed her arm, placing his mouth on her wound and sucking at the blood there. Deborah twitched herself, as if in pain, but she held on for a few seconds, yanking away when it became unbearable.

“I had forgotten that it hurts.” She said to herself, grabbing and squeezing at her arm as if to staunch her own pain. Michael convulsed once and then lay still.

After a time, several minutes, he convulsed again and sat up. “Is it done?”

“Indeed. Welcome to your new life.”

“This was done to you?”

Deborah nodded.

“When?”

“It was 1949, in San Francisco. My mother was a Chinese prostitute. My father some drunken Irish sailor who didn’t pull out in time.”

“You’re half-Chinese? That explains…”

“My exotic good looks?” said Deborah with a quirky smile. “Yes. As they say in the old days, when I had my flowering, I was put to work in my mother’s brother. I was given my tattoo and turned tricks just like everyone else. And then, she came. I’d never been with a woman before, but she was not just a woman. She was kindred and was looking for a toy for her amusement. She chose me, made me into what I am now. She kept me for a time, years really, decades. We would travel from city to city, until I found a liberator to set me free from her.”

“You had her killed?”

“It was the only way. Once on my own, I came to Virginia. Made a name for myself in Roanoke. And I’ve been here ever since. And now, I have a pet of my own. But unlike my maker did with me, I will not hold you in thrall. We are friends and lovers. And for the time being, united in common purpose. But when those purposes are ended, you may go or stay as you wish.”

“But not before?”

“That would be unwise. You are a babe in arms, or the equivalent thereof. You know nothing of us, how we live, how we survive, how our society is structured. I will teach you these things. But without me, you would be just as doomed as if I had abandoned you drained of your blood on floor a minute ago.”

Michael nodded. He rubbed his belly pensively.

“It’s begun, hasn’t it? The hunger. You will never be rid of it completely. However, you are newly made and it is worst in that moment. We must hunt. So begins your first lesson. Come, get your clothes. It is late but I’m sure we can find some morsel on the streets tonight.”

“Dawn will be in a few hours.”

“Yes, and we must be back under shadow before it arrives. Hurry.”

----

“Pickings will be slim this late. But it’s not difficult in a college town to know where to look.” Said Deborah as they walked down the street from her apartment towards downtown Blacksburg.

“At 4:30am, there are only two places open.”

“Indeed, both within a short walk of here. The donut shop and 7-11. Tell me. Which is the better choice tonight?”

Michael sniffed the air as a hound might. His mind flooded with scents he’d never experienced before. It was overwhelming.

“Your mind will adapt to your enhanced senses with time. Right now, it’ll be hard to discern anything by scent, since that takes practice. But in the quiet of this night, try a different tact. Use your hearing.”

Michael did so. There was little background noise to distract him. But he could still hear a great deal. The sound of the donut machine running a block away inside the shop. A car coming down Main Street two blocks further. And the sound of breathing as a night owl student made his or her way towards the 7-11 convenience store.

“The 7-11.”

Deborah turned her head as if to listen as well. She sniffed the air. “Yes, very good. And she’s drunk to boot. So much the better.”

When Deborah and Michael arrived, their quarry had already gone inside. She was young, perhaps a freshman, and seemed a bit tipsy. She was alone, apparently on a snack run after a late night drinking binge. The only other soul in sight was the store clerk.

“So, how do we take her?” asked Deborah.

“Given the time, wouldn’t brute force be best?”

Deborah nodded. “But no witnesses. Make sure the clerk sees nothing.”

Michael looked around. Near the edge of the store parking lot was a brick half-wall. A perfect place to hide. He gestured towards it and moved to hide. Deborah remained behind.

When the girl came out of the store, she made her way towards the half-wall, unaware of what lay in wait. When she passed from the lighted parking lot into the shadows, Michael struck. Fast as lightning, he leaped out from behind the wall and grabbed the girl, dragging her back with barely a struggle.

Deborah stood up and walked over. When she arrived, Michael had finished. Deborah leaned down and checked the girl. “Dead.” She observed. “Almost always happens with the first feeding.”

Michael jumped back as if bitten. “What? I killed her?”

Deborah nodded. “You’ll get used to it. Killing will soon become less of a moral quandary and more of a practical one.”

"You let her die? You let me kill her." said Michael with a shocked anger.

Deborah picked up the limp corpse, carried it over to a nearby dumpster, and tossed it inside. He looked at her incredulously.

“This isn’t…” began Michael.

“Isn’t what? A bit late for second thoughts now.” Said Deborah fiercely. “You have been reborn to darkness. The choice is now your life or theirs. This is your first lesson, Michael. You are now a predator, a killer. That is a simple fact.”

“So that is to be my life now? To kill indiscriminately?”

“You will find your unlife short indeed were you to do so. No, there are certain realities. I want those to become clear to you, before I show you how to temper your new bestial nature.” Deborah glanced towards the horizon. “Come, there are many nights ahead for these lessons. I am weary and the sun will soon be upon us.”

Act One Chapter Five