by Kurup, P. L.
Embracing this notion, Samuel plunged into the lagoon and swam across it, weakening his scent. Pulling himself onto a craggy rock face, his wet clothes clung to his body defining his athletic physique, and giving him a rugged sensuality. His dark hair was equally sodden, resulting in a fringe that slanted a millimetre above his eyes.
The cave entrance was large enough for him to fit through, but had he been a touch taller, the gap would’ve been difficult to manoeuvre. The smell of rotting flesh struck him like a thunderbolt, and his blue eyes watered. He heard Esther’s heart race and was both reassured and worried by it. He strode into the cave, ducking his head as he went in, and placed his fingers on the cavern walls as he went through. Something crunched underfoot, and he looked down to see piles of human bones scattered all over. It meant Clara had fed on people for years, and he dreaded to think how many were from the orphanage. Esther was still alive, and that was enough to spur him through the mountain of bones.
He came to a pitch-dark area with a ceiling pierced by tiny shafts of light. The place was forty metres high and had jagged rocks on the ceiling, floor, and sides. His bare feet slashed with every step, but healed the next second. He stumbled on something and glanced down to see Angela’s clothed body lying at his feet. Samuel removed a handkerchief from his pocket and draped it over the girl’s face, giving her some dignity. As he looked about, he spotted several more corpses at various stages of decomposition.
“You are repugnant,” he scoffed.
“It’s no different from a lion killing its prey,” reasoned Clara.
He whipped round and saw her carrying Esther in her arms.
“Please don’t kill her,” he said softly. “I will do anything.”
Clara gave him a condescending smile and he noticed that her dress and face were still immaculate, showing no signs of the killing spree. The only differences were that her long hair was worn loose around her shoulders, her skin looked much paler than it had done while at the orphanage, and her eyes were no longer brown, but a glittering blue. He worked out that she had applied a darkening agent on her face and hands to make them seem a normal human shade, and wore tinted glass over her pupils to alter their true colour.
“You should try dining on humans instead of rats for once,” she said.
“They taste exquisite. Of course, even a pig is somewhat better than vermin.”
“It was you that put the swine inside my room.”
“I could tell you were pining for blood. Any kind of blood.”
“I admire you for keeping what you are a secret,” he said, edging closer.
“Out of curiosity, how did you manage to eat and drink normal food? I would’ve thought it would kill you.”
“Whatever I consume, I throw up within five minutes. Otherwise, it’s lethal. Haven’t you ever noticed I leave a few minutes after I eat or drink something? Of course, you haven’t. You’re too naïve for that. That’s why you couldn’t protect your wife. Even as a human, you were pathetic.”
He charged at her, and Clara jumped twice his height and settled on a ledge.
“You have to work on your technique,” Clara mocked. “It’s very poor.”
“Why feed on children? They’re innocent,” he remarked.
“Because we are predators, Samuel. We’re meant to feed on humans as it gives us the greatest strength, the fastest speed, and the highest intellect. Anything else will weaken us.”
Samuel’s feet left the ground, only for him to fall back with a thud. Clara chuckled at his misfortune, and he glared at her in fury.
“Let her go, Clara. Or I will destroy you by tearing you limb from limb.”
“I’m afraid only piercing my heart or decapitation will do the trick. Didn’t
Lucas tell you that?” she asked, making him frown. “Oh yes, I knew from the very beginning that you were one of his.”
“I want you to leave Esther and the other children and go away from here,” he repeated.
“I suppose I will have to now that you know what I am. No doubt you’ll tell that self-righteous ‘man of the cloth’ what I’ve done.”
While Clara ranted on, his feet left the ground, and he almost reached her, when she let go of Esther. The girl plummeted to the ground, but Samuel caught her midflight, and they both landed safely on the ground. Looking back at the ledge, he saw that Clara had gone.
“Don’t worry, we’ll see each other in the not too distant future,” her voice echoed.
Samuel knelt in front of Esther and said, “You don’t have to be scared. She won’t hurt you anymore.”
She hugged him and he comforted her with soothing words.
“Close your eyes,” he told her.
Esther did so, and he carried her through the sea of bones, quickly arriving at the cave’s mouth.
He stepped outside, but he couldn’t detect Clara anywhere. His thoughts turned to Father Manuel and the children who were left vulnerable to Clara’s thirst.
“I want you to hold on to me,” Samuel told the girl.
She did so, and he raced across the lagoon with such speed that his feet never sank beneath the water. As he touched land again, he stared back at the blue-green waters, astonished at what he’d done. The dizzying clifftops encircling them were their only means of escape. So he willed himself to drift up as he’d done in the cave, only this time, he stayed earthbound.
“Come on,” he shouted angrily.
He tried again, and his bare feet lifted off the ground, coming to rest on the cliff edge. His joy on reaching the top was tainted by seeing Clara’s shoeprints trail off into the distance. Continuing to cradle Esther in his arms, he hurried back the way he came.
xxx
His enigmatic figure arrived at the orphanage before noon. The early morning mist gave way to dark skies and a brisk wind. There was no one about and the stillness filled him with unease. After placing Esther on the ground, he thrust open the dining cabin door and saw everyone congregated there. Thank goodness, he thought. The children were uncharacteristically silent, their expressions too serious for their age. Samuel crossed to Father Manuel and whispered, “We have to leave this place before she comes back.”
“What is she?” asked Father Manuel.
“She is a creature who feeds on blood to survive. An entity without remorse.”
“You’re the same as her, aren’t you?”
“It pains me to say that I am.
Chapter 18
The children ran about the place, ignorant of how serious the situation was, and Father Manuel scrambled after them without success. As he did, Samuel wandered into the forest and fed to his heart’s content, making certain he experienced no twinges of hunger. He washed his hands and face in a puddle and rubbed his fingernails raw to alleviate any suggestion of a crimson stain. After checking his clothes to make sure they were also free from any alarming specks, he returned to the orphanage and found the children still running around.
Charles and his eight-year-old sister, Melanie, were pushing and shoving each other, Esther and several of her friends were engaged in a riveting game of hopscotch, whereas Father Manuel was nowhere to be seen. Samuel put his fingers to his lips and whistled. The resulting high-pitched shrill silenced the youngsters, and they faced him with stunned stares.
“I want you all to go pack some food and water, put on your sunhats, and meet me back here in five minutes. Go,” he said.
The children scattered to the cabins, and Samuel smirked at how they reacted to his faux strictness. Watching them pour water from the well into canteens, he was filled by a feeling of trepidation. He marched to the well and peered into its murky depths, noticing coarse grey rocks at its base and a network of moss and weeds collecting between the stones. Intertwined amongst the debris, was what looked like a child’s hand. He used the bucket to scoop up the object and found it was nothing more than a doll. The same moment he gazed into the toy’s lifeless eyes, he heard Clara’s sardonic laughter emanating from deep inside
the forest.
“Finish packing your things. We must be on our way,” Samuel urged the kids.
“Where are we going?” asked Charles.
“We’re going to the city where Clara can’t find us. I have to get Benjamin,” he said, striding off.
“He’s not there,” said Melanie. Samuel stopped, already knowing why. “When she came for Esther, she told us that she had already taken him to her cave.”
“I want you all to follow me into the cabins. No one must be on their own,” Samuel said.
From them on, Samuel led the group into their respective cabins and watched over them as they prepared for the journey.
xxx
Within the hour, every child was dressed and carrying a bag full of fruit and a canteen of fresh water, and wore their hats to protect them from the sun.
“Are we going somewhere Clara can’t hurt us?” asked Esther.
“Somewhere no one can hurt you,” replied Samuel.
He read her thoughts, even though it seemed improper, and learnt she was worried that he would leave her when they reached the city.
Father Manuel came out of one cabin with the last three children, clapped his hands and said, “Come on, then. Single file.”
The children shifted into place and Samuel went to the back of the line while Father Manuel led the group into the thickest part of the forest. A cacophony of animal sounds forced some to flinch and others to glance over their shoulders. Samuel grimaced for putting innocents through such a rotten ordeal, but he knew it was for the best.
xxx
The group roamed the forest, and Samuel deemed everything from a shaking branch to a rustling bush with suspicion. They took a break every forty minutes to let the younger ones rest. Pausing so often didn’t sit well with Samuel as he felt her presence everywhere. He kept his feelings hidden from Father Manuel as the poor man was worried enough.
At dusk, the children looked weary, and one of them was in tears.
“Why couldn’t we stay at the orphanage?” asked eleven-year-old Oliver. “I’m tired and I don’t like being stung by insects.”
“Also, my legs hurt,” added Melanie.
“We’ll rest in a min----” Samuel started.
Something dripped on his shoulder, and he looked up to see the carcass of a panther strung from a tree. The creature was drained of blood and had been killed in the last hour. The children noticed it too and shrieked with terror as Father Manuel cupped his mouth with his hand.
“Who would do such a thing?” the priest murmured.
Samuel walked up to the priest and whispered, “She’s among us, and she’s ravenous. We must keep going.”
“The children are exhausted. They need to rest for the night,” the priest replied.
“Very well. We’ll rest and make an early start in the morning.” Samuel agreed.
They camped in a clearing and Samuel made a fire while the children prepared for sleep.
Samuel stayed awake the whole night and resisted closing his eyes for a moment. Hunger crept up on him in the early hours, and he groaned at its inconvenience. He reluctantly left the group and fed on whatever was available.
Returning as quickly as he could, he gazed at the sleeping children to see if any were missing. Both the party of children and the priest were safe. He reacted by closing his eyes.
xxx
They re-started the journey and Samuel noticed that Esther was uncharacteristically subdued.
“You’ll have lots of new friends to play with in the city,” he told her.
“I have too many friends already and the city is horrid,” she replied.
“I know you didn’t like being taken from the orphanage, but I promise, in a few weeks, you won’t want to leave the city.”
“How do you know?” she asked him.
“Because the city is near the ocean, and living near the ocean is always exciting.”
Her face brightened, and he could tell that his explanation appeased her a little.
As evening came, Samuel smelt the sea air and the dust and grime of the metropolis, but it would be another hour before the priest and the children knew of it.
xxx
Sixty minutes later, young Melanie shouted out, “I can see the ocean. I can smell it too.”
The children twittered at the prospect of living near the sea and their stride quickened.
It was nightfall when they arrived at the cusp of the town, a bustling port full of taverns and shops. The noisy environment was in contrast to the tranquil setting of the orphanage, and Samuel saw the kids stare wide-eyed at their new home. He escorted the ensemble to the perimetre of a church and said to the priest, “Our kind cannot enter church ground. So you will be safe inside.”
“Thank you,” Father Manuel said. “But now you must leave.”
“I can protect the children a little longer,” Samuel insisted.
“I can’t trust you, Samuel. Remaining here will make you as lethal to us as Clara was. Whatever happens, we will deal with it ourselves.”
“I will go,” Samuel said.
“I don’t want you to go,” Esther uttered tearfully.
Samuel knelt down and explained, “I have to, sweetie. You and your friends will be safe here. Be a good girl and take care of yourself.”
He hugged her deeply, stood back up, and walked away without looking back once.
A tall ship pulled away from the dock and Samuel leapt on to it not caring where it went. He came in contact with one of the crew, a man with long hair and a matted beard.
“I could kick you off the ship right now if I wanted to,” said the man.
“Then you will lose an excellent sailor who eats very little,” Samuel replied brazenly.
“We are a merchant vessel and spend months, sometimes years, travelling from one port to another. If you can stomach being on board for such a long time, and can pull your weight, you are welcome to stay.”
“Thank you,” Samuel responded.
The man walked off, and Samuel stared at the wharf knowing that Clara prowled somewhere among the masses.
Chapter 19
The ship travelled halfway across the world, and he immersed himself in cultures and religions he never thought existed. When the crew came down with influenza, Samuel nursed them back to health and became a well-trusted friend.
Six months later, as the ship docked in Cairo, Samuel didn’t rejoin the crew. He stayed in the city for a year, taking in the highs and lows of Egyptian life. Afterwards, he walked the length and breadth of Africa to experience other facets of the continent. He found the people to be friendly and less judgmental than his countrymen. Several journeys around the world followed, lasting a near decade, yet he looked the same as he did the day he was changed.
Feeling an urge to return to the sea, Samuel travelled eastwards until he reached another ocean. There, he hopped onto another ship that journeyed from country to country, delivering and purchasing wares. For eight years, this was his home, and he got on well with the crew. To them, he was the solitary sailor who never ate or drank with them. A man whose skin never tanned, despite the harshness of the sun, who worked without tiring, and who never complained. Samuel behaved like one of them and created friendships with the eighteen crew members and the captain. They were blatantly unaware that he fed on the blood of rats and fish throughout the years, and whenever they disembarked, on cows and goats.
When they were travelling to Russia, Samuel heard the thoughts of the captain questioning why he hadn’t aged in nearly a decade, never ate or drank in their presence, and why his pale skin failed to tan or burn under the sun’s blaze. In the coming days, the captain relayed his concerns to the rest of the crew, and Samuel knew it was a matter of time before he was challenged.
xxx
One stormy afternoon, as rain pelted the deck, twelve crew members and the captain surrounded him, giving him no chance to flee.
“How can I help you gentlemen?” Samuel asked jovially
.
“You can tell us why you never eat or drink in front of us and why you haven’t aged in nearly ten years,” said the captain.
“I don’t like people watching me eat, and I have good skin,” Samuel replied.
The captain punched Samuel in the face and cut his lip, resulting in the obligatory flow of blood. Samuel lowered his head to his chest, and after seven drops of blood splashed on deck, the hemorrhaging stopped.
“Let’s tie him up,” yelled Jack, an elderly, but ruthless fellow.
Ten sailors pounced on Samuel and tied him to the mast using several strong, metal chains.
“Let’s see how long you survive without food and water,” said a man.
Throughout the ordeal, Samuel neither struggled nor complained about his mistreatment. He had gotten used to men such as these after his encounter in the Paris woodland and knew silence was the best option. The first to look after him was Nathaniel, a boy with a rudimentary intellect.
“Let me go,” Samuel said. “If you don’t, something terrible will happen.”
“Keep quiet or I will hurt you,” Nathaniel barked back.
The sailors took turns keeping an eye on him, and denied him the chance to roam the ship for food.
“How far are we from land?” Samuel asked the captain when he took watch.
“Five hundred miles or so,” the captain replied.
“You have to let me go. Otherwise, yours and the lives of your men will be in danger.”
The captain smirked, and Samuel grasped that he had no intention of freeing him.
With every hour, Samuel’s lust for blood amplified, and by nightfall, the sparkling blue of his eyes turned black. His latest jailor, a man with a long moustache, failed to notice the change and fell asleep before midnight. Around the same time, Samuel’s senses alerted him to the prospect of land a hundred miles south. The ship steered away from it, and Samuel knew that to save the crew from certain death, he needed to leave at once. He shattered one of the thinner chains, then tore apart two more restraints, and finally ruptured the last and thickest manacle. Standing up, he noticed the sea churning relentlessly, destined to swallow anyone whole. The varieties of sea life in the ocean depths enticed him to jump in and quench his thirst. Levitation was impractical as he needed to dive into the waters to feed. I mustn’t float. I must descend, he thought.
