Vampire’s Curse
Bound by temptation’s shackles
Seduced
I met him, a creature of the night, in the moonlit garden where roses bloomed with thorns like jagged dreams. His eyes, like pools of midnight ink, reflected the torment of a thousand lost souls.
His curse, a tempest within him, denied him the sun's warmth. His skin, pale as moonlight, concealed an unquenchable thirst. He was a creature of perpetual hunger, forever yearning for the warmth of life's elixir.
His touch, like velvet against my skin, whispered secrets of a forbidden desire. As he drew me into his nocturnal embrace, I succumbed willingly, entwining my fate with his, my heart both fearful and intoxicated by the promise of eternal nights.
Cursed
The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the ancient trees, whispering secrets of forgotten sins.
In a meadow edged by this dense forest, the vampire, Lucien, found himself ensnared in a web of his desires. Maddened by his insatiable hunger, he had grabbed and tried to bite a maiden the night before.
How was he to know she was one of those angels that walked among the ordinary people?
Before he could sink his fangs into her neck, she had glowed. Her eyes stared at him, burning white. He had dropped her and ran into the forest.
“You should have known better, Lucien,” a voice said, echoing through the shadows, resonating with authority.
Lucien’s crimson eyes widened as he beheld the figure emerging from the darkness. It was none other than Ezrael; the archangel known as The Punisher, his piercing gaze cutting through the vampire’s very soul.
“I was foolish,” Lucien said, his voice heavy with regret. “He promised me eternity and pleasure, but it was all a trap.”
Ezrael’s expression remained stoic, his wings unfurling majestically behind him.
“Your punishment is to remain here in this meadow, bound by the forest you sought to hide in. You will learn the consequences of giving in to temptation.”
As the archangel’s words hung in the air, the forest tightened its grip around the meadow; the branches twisting into dark, thorned shackles. The vampire’s heart filled with dread as he realized the depth of his folly.
“Please, show mercy,” Lucien said, pleading as desperation laced his voice.
Ezrael’s gaze softened, a glimmer of compassion flickering in his eyes.
“Mercy is not mine to give. Redemption lies in your own choices, Lucien. Choose wisely.”
With a final, solemn nod, Ezrael faded into the shadows, leaving Lucien alone in his forest prison.
The vampire’s cries of anguish mingled with the whispered symphony of night noises in the forest.
Tempted
One summer, on the meadow’s edges, vibrant with the scent and color of wildflowers, Lucien prowled under the pale light of a new moon. His eyes, the color of blood, glowed with otherworldly intensity. Lucien could soar through the night with the grace of a predator, his whispers chilling the bones of those unfortunate enough to hear them.
Tonight, Lucien sensed a presence, a human one. He was so tired of consuming the blood of creatures that ventured into the meadow, and this human’s blood vibrated in his being, young and fresh, an innocent no less.
He followed the whispering breeze to where a young woman stood, her heart pounding in fear. Her name was Lilith, and she had stumbled upon Lucien’s hunting ground. The lantern she carried flickered in her trembling hands as she realized her grave mistake.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed, hunger consuming him. He could smell her fear, taste it on the tip of his tongue.
“Ah, my lovely. I’ve been alone for such a long time.” Lucien felt an overpowering thirst.
He advanced slowly, relishing in the terror that emanated from Lilith’s every pore. But as he drew closer, something unexpected happened.
Lilith summoned all her courage, determined not to meet her demise without a fight. With a sudden burst of strength, she swung the lantern toward Lucien. The lantern’s glass shattered, flames licking at his face, and the vampire recoiled, hissing in pain. The glow of the fire startled him, momentarily weakening his supernatural abilities.
Lilith took that opportunity to sprint through the meadow, desperate to escape. Lucien enraged, chased after her, but at the meadow’s edge, he stopped and roared in despair. He could not leave. The thrill of consuming a young innocent’s blood had driven all thought of the curse from his mind.
Resigned
Lucien roamed the meadow, trapped by the unbreakable curse.
The memory of almost sinking his fangs into Lilith’s tender neck haunted him. It was a maddening hunger that gnawed at his very being.
“I should have had her,” Lucien said, muttering to himself, his voice a mix of sorrow and longing.
As he paced the perimeter of his verdant prison, he beseeched The Punisher.
“Ezrael, have pity on me. Release me from this torment!”
A pale, shimmering light descended, revealing the majestic figure of the archangel Ezrael.
“Lucien, you have two choices,” Ezrael said, his voice echoing through the forest. “Face eternal damnation in the fiery pits or endure another century in this earthly prison.”
A heavy feeling settled in Lucien’s chest as he considered what to do.
To dwell in the fiery pits meant ending this existence. Spending another century in the meadow felt like an unbearable punishment, a never-ending torment of unfulfilled longings.
With his head lowered, Lucien pondered before raising his gaze to meet Ezrael’s solemn look.
“I choose to remain on earth,” he said, his voice filled with resolve.
“Why?” Ezrael inquired, his eyes searching Lucien’s soul.
“I choose to endure,” Lucien said, his tone laced with determination. “For in this prison, there is still a sliver of hope, a chance for redemption. I’ll persevere, hoping to find redemption in my suffering.”
“Understood,” Ezrael said, blending into a moonbeam.
So Lucien, the vampire, resigned himself to another century in the meadow, his heart filled with the distant dream of freedom.
Author’s Note
I knew I wanted to rewrite two pieces (some of you might recognize them). I wrote the Lilith section last year constrained by the word count of a writing prompt. I expanded that piece. I wrote the opening section in April. I also knew that I wanted to give Lucien a backstory. Anyway, the two new sections flowed from that intention.
Check out other Halloween/horror-themed posts at the Halloween link.
My new book, The Edges, is now available in digital and paperback formats.
Upcoming…
A narrative poem about a witch’s revenge:
Aldergrove, 23 October 2024
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