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My father is dead on the floor. Blood from a wound in his chest covers everything around the body. A wound of that size can be made only by a phosphoric gun. His eyes are wide open with an expression of despair frozen in them. His wallet is also covered with his blood, and only a picture of my mother, which he always kept in it, is still visible.
What does it mean? Why the phosphoric gun? It is used to kill the vampires… may be, they turned my father into a vampire? And why the phone is ringing? I wake up. It was just a dream. Strange dream. Like another one, where I was tied and gagged. Now I am free. But it was so real. The phone keeps ringing.
I stand up and make few steps… my body is difficult to control, like it is not mine... I answer a phone, fortunately, it is my father. He is alive! Thanks God, it was only a dream.
- Sandra, is everything all right? Your voice sounds so strange…
- I… I know… I took a nap.
- Oh, I see. There is something unexpected. I can not return home today. We are waiting a very important visit from the Vatican. I hope I will be back tomorrow. I love you.
- yes… sorry, still sleepy..
- See you tomorrow.
****, I forgot to tell him about the keys. It is good to know that everything is ok with him. But… something inside tells me, that something is terribly wrong with me. Weird feeling, like I am empty inside. What time is it? Almost 9pm. I remember when I opened a door it was about 7pm… Opened a door to… The vampires!!!
Was it a dream? Oh, no, if it was real… TV was working, computer was still showing a stupid screen saver, and everything looked the same except that strange feeling. Am I a vampire? How can I tell a vampire from a human? Think, girl, think.
- So, what are you going to do if you are a vampire?
- I don’t know. Shut up. I am thinking. Who was that? Oh, no. I hear voices. May be, it is very simple, I am crazy, I have a nightmare… Wake up, girl, wake up!
- May be you prefer a scientific approach? – continues the voice.
- What do you mean?
- Your body’s temperature. And the blood pressure.
- Bingo. Why am I still talking to you? Shut up!
Damned, I am talking to voices in my head. May be, I have a terrible fever and hallucinations? I can find a thermometer. Here is it. And the device to measure the blood pressure. Now let’s try.
The device displays ‘Error’. I try again. Again and again. The same result. It just malfunctioning, I say to myself in panic. Ok, and my temperature… European thermometer indicates 33C? In Celsius, my temperature must be 36.6.
Mirror! I look in the mirror. Well, at least I have a reflection. Pale skin. And… a wound on my neck. That’s it. I sat on a chair. It is the end, girl. It was not a dream at all. I am transforming into a vampire. But I still think as a human, and as far as I know, vampires don’t think. My father never told me how long does it takes for the complete transformation. May be hours, may be few days? How much time do I have before I become an undead zombie?
May be it is not too late to run to the hospital. I don’t know… A full blood transfusion might save me?
- Great idea! What are you going to tell them? That you are a vampire?
- Yes, that is stupid. And probably too late. My father told me once that if it is done, nothing can save you. Shut up, voice.
Nothing in the world can save me now. I need to kill myself, while I am still in control of my body. May be in a few hours, I become a monster. I just need to wait for a sunrise. But what if it would be too late? I can kill innocent people by then.
I know. I will go to the church! Right now. My unholy body will burn in flames, and my soul will be released. Notre Dame. I will go there. Immediately.
I run downstairs. On the street I realize that winter night is pretty cold, but I don’t feel it. I feel cold inside, but it is different. Also, everything looks different. People. This one is happy, this one is ill, this is in love. I feel what they think. I feel like they have some coloured clouds around them, I see these clouds when they are close to me. May be, I am just crazy?
Metro, line 1. I am inside a crowd of tourists speaking different languages. Etoile, station George V… I look at the people on the platform and I see a different one. He… he is not human at all. Yes, it is obvious now. He looks at me, and yes, he definitely understands that I am also different. The train begins to accelerate, and he cries something in French… something about at prince. That I need to visit a prince. What prince?
Chatelet. The biggest station in Paris. People running in all directions. Interesting thing is I see them! I feel them! Here, is the crowd. And when I feel them, they feel me too and they look at me. We don’t say a word, but we all understand. I was here so many times, but I’ve never noticed them. May be it is impossible when you are a human. And now I see them and it means I can help my father!
Yes, we will hunt together! I will locate them, and he will follow them and then hunt them down. I can still be useful!
- Yes. And as a prize for your good work, he will allow you to feed and kill few innocent mortals.
- Oh, yes… you’re right, voice. He would never allow me to exist. I can lose control any second. So, back to my original plan. Notre Dame.
I crossed the island of Cité. It was late, but tourists were waiting in a line to enter the Notre Dame. Here we are. End of the road, girl. I did not expect it so soon, when I am 21, but I have no choice. I even smiled, when I imagined tourists looking at my burning body in shock. I love you Dad. I stepped into the cathedral.. and… nothing happened. Surprise, surprise!
I looked nervously around. No lightning, no thunder, nothing. What does it mean? The transformation is not over yet? Then I still have some time? But for how long? Suddenly, I feel something. No, not something. Someone. I am not alone. There is someone inside me. Another soul? Yes, and a very dark one. And very strong. I awoke it, it is still sleepy, but it is moving uncomfortably, and with each movement I feel the dark thoughts of that soul. Food. All humans around me, just a food, attack them, kill them, drink their blood, right now, do it!  |