A feeling of terror, much greater than I had ever deemed possible, rose within me. Bats blended in too well with everything else I had been bumping into in the last twenty-four hours. But then again, it was an old house. Realistically, I knew that these kinds of rodents could reside in such places. However, the brief sightings of his fangs loomed in my mind again, and from all the vampire movies I had watched, I knew that bats were one of the creatures they could become!
My fingers touched a wooden plank. Thank God—the door! Now all I had to do was find the latch. I continued groping along, searching desperately. Finally, I was rewarded; my hand bumped against a steel bolt. I attempted to push it across. I could not fail now. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead, mingling with the rain that was drenching me from above. The bolt would not budge. I strained harder. Why would the latch not move? I got my answer as I drew in a whiff of the aged rustiness of the metal.
“There is no use, my dear Virginia. This door has not been used for years. The latch is quite rusty. I have no need of this gate. There is no escape for you here!” It was a voice that sent unadulterated terror through my veins. It was his voice!
I flattened my back against the door and swung around to face the speaker. My eyes darted around, searching diligently for the bat. Logic told me it would be gone and in its place would be the count.
“Virginia darling, what is the meaning of this? Why are you running from us? You said our hospitality was adequate.” The count grabbed hold of my wrist and gently pulled me toward him.
I could not take my eyes from his face. His eyes were like two powerful magnets, piercing my soul and drawing every particle of my being to the surface. The features of his face were not so handsome, yet there was a chiselled perfection to them. Compared to the count, John had been a mere boy, far from the age of maturity. At that moment, I had no idea just how far apart they were!
My knees felt ready to collapse beneath me. For reasons unknown to me at that time, I was unable to resist him. I found it impossible to fight whatever power it was this man possessed. I fell limply against his chest. He wrapped me in his cape and led me back up the stairs that only moments before had promised me freedom.
Teresa and Max were waiting in the study when we entered. I glanced at Teresa. There was a tiny cut and a trickle of blood at the corner of her lips. Her eyes were red and swollen. I ventured a look at Max, but he turned away with his head bowed low. What had I done to them? Had he had time, during the short space of my flight, to inflict such a harsh reprimand on them? Hadn’t Teresa mentioned something about punishment, or was it been Max who had expressed such graphic fear in the dining room? Come to think of it, it had been both of them! And judging by what I was witnessing now, the count’s punishments were dealt out quickly, with not a single moment allowed for explanation and not a single consideration of mercy!
“Teresa, Max,” the count opened the conversation. “I have retrieved our little bird that you so carelessly let fly from your keeping.” He reached over to Teresa and caressed her cheek. “I am so sorry, Teresa darling. I never meant to hurt you, but you, of all those around me, should know how angry I become when I am disobeyed, or worse yet, when people are careless with their responsibilities. This little incident has cost me much time. I won’t be able to go out tonight, and when I cannot get out, we all suffer, right?” He removed his hand from Teresa’s cheek. “Ah well, no matter.” The count returned his attention to me. “I shall just have to seek solace elsewhere.” He threw back his head and laughed. Evil charged the room.
~
Before I had time to think about my next move, Max was ushering me back to my room. I would have given anything at that moment to tell him how sorry I was about what had happened, but he looked so distant. He probably would not have believed me, anyway. As he shuffled along beside me, I could see the marks of four long scratches on his cheek and the purplish-red swelling all around the marks. I wanted desperately to cry out words of apology, to take back every lying word I had said about him, but I also knew that my only reason for remorse was because it had all been in vain. Max and Teresa had been punished. I was still being held captive; I was still subject to an unknown fate. Had I escaped, I would not have been aware of their misfortune and would have had nothing to feel guilty about.
Max opened the door to my room and gave me a shove. The harshness of his action startled me. Despite my earlier accusations, Max had never touched me, except for the grip of pleading in the dining room. I guess he figured I deserved that push after having accused him of a worse assault. He was probably correct in that assumption, and I was only too willing to grant him his small moment of revenge. He shut my door without saying a word. I listened as the lock clicked into place.
I began to pace. I was becoming quite a proficient pacer. I wondered if there was any hope of me ever getting out alive. There was no escaping the count’s all-seeing eyes. And who would even miss me outside this place? I had lied about family. I had none in this city. To be brutally frank, I had none anywhere. I had been orphaned at the age of nineteen, when my parents had been killed in a bus accident while vacationing in Mexico. I had been in summer school the year they had taken that trip. My parents had both been only children, so there were no aunts or uncles to take care of me. Their lawyer had been set as guardian and administrator of their estate. My college tuition had been paid from a trust fund, but it had not been enough for me to go to university and study what I seriously wanted to.
In essence, there was absolutely no one out there who truly cared what happened to me—no one. John would not care. Ever since I had kicked him and his air-headed blonde trollop out of my apartment, I had not had so much as a phone call from him to inquire how I was coping with the scrap of a life he had left me! What a selfish bastard he was, especially after I had supported him for so long. And what a naive fool I had been to do that! I felt as if I’d been orphaned all over again.
Even at my place of employment, I was so new that it could be months before anyone missed me or wondered what had happened to the new girl. They’d think I was just another secretary who could not take the pressure of a busy law firm and had decided to quit without giving notice so she would not have to face the boss. I was sure that is what most of them would be saying. Of course, I had been extremely selective about whom I had associated with, or maybe I was just cautious, but the end result was the same—I had not made even one friend during the short time I had been in Brantford. So who out there would miss me enough to instigate an investigation into my untimely disappearance? And if, by a fluke, my new boss did think to call Mr. Carverson, he would probably say to give me some time; he would mention that I had just been through a rough period in my life; I would return to my senses. I was a good girl, worth having on board, etc., etc. Then again, maybe he would not bother to say much of anything at all—out of sight, out of mind.
In short, I was alone. I was even more alone in this strange world I had happened upon. “Oh God! Oh God!” The plea wrenched out between my sobs. Finally, I slept.
~
I awoke with a shudder; something was standing over me—a dark shadow. I opened my eyes wide. There stood my nightmare. Once again I had that horrid feeling, a sensation of helplessness. I could not control myself. His eyes were melting the marrow in the deepest depths of my bones. I strained to look away from his face, but the magnetism was too intense for my weakened senses.
“Come, my dear.” His voice was so soothing. His arms beckoned me. “Come to me.”
I staggered out of my bed and fell willingly into his arms. I lifted my face to his and longed for his lips to devour mine. I was totally powerless to arrest these emotions. I hated my desire, but I simply had no command over it. I did not wish for the count to end the moment with just a kiss. I yearned for him to consume every inch of me. “Oh God, please forgive me!” I moaned.
A vicious snarl startled me back to reality. I was hurled across the room, and I smashed against the door. Pain se
ared through my back, and I had to gasp for my next breath. The powerful spell he had cast on me was broken as he stood there yelling furiously.
“How dare you wear that thing around your neck! Take it off! I order you! Take it off!” The count’s voice swelled to a roar, and in his moment of rage, I beheld the true ugliness of the creature before me.
His facial skin had turned grey and wrinkled. His eyes were no longer dark and penetrating, but had become streaked with red, fiery lines of fatigue. He appeared to be distraught and totally out of control!
I trembled, not thoroughly understanding what he was ranting about. Take what off? The count had undone some of the buttons on my blouse. My hands reached up to my neck and brushed against my gold cross. Of course—the sacred symbol—vampires were terrified of crosses! Anything that was holy they could not look upon, or be touched with, for it would sear the very fabric of the skin that covered their dead bones. I knew that much from the various vampire movies I had whiled away endless lonely nights watching. The cross could be my road to freedom! My trump card! I began to breathe easier.
“Take it off! I command you!” The count had raised his cape, trying to hide his face from the religious symbol. If I were to describe his stance then, I would say it bordered on cowardliness—or maybe the fear of something much more powerful than him!
“No!” I shouted. I felt that I was the powerful one now. It was I who held the trump card. This creature, who had terrified and controlled me just moments before, was now cringing behind his cape, his power over me diminished. “Don’t be foolish, Count; this cross is my ticket to freedom. Do you think I would be crazy enough to take it off so you could have your way with me?” I have no idea from where I had summoned that moment of courage. Or was it foolishness?
The count seemed to regain some of his composure. He straightened up and began to walk slowly toward me, keeping his face carefully concealed behind the cape. As he got close to me, I thrust the cross out. It brushed against his hand. His flesh sizzled. He hissed and stepped back. I reached for the door handle. It turned with ease. I was out of it in a flash, out and running. Running and holding tight to my salvation.
I could hear the count’s footsteps behind me. I quickened my pace down the stairs. Just ahead of me, I noticed a glimmer of sunlight slipping through beside the curtains on the front door. Another salvation. If I just could make it to that door, I would be free. I could smell my freedom, it was that close.
My hand reached for the doorknob. The count was closing in on me. Thank God, the handle turned. The door was opening. My breath was coming in gasps. I was ecstatic. I was winning. All I needed were a few more steps, and the brilliant sun would wrap me in her arms and lead me home. He had no power beyond these walls; not now, not in the sunlight. I was out the door. Foolishly, I turned to take a final look at what I was leaving behind.
The count stood in the hallway, almost at the threshold of the door. He was just staring at me. At first his eyes were filled with anger, and then I watched as the corners of his lips curled into a smile—an extremely diabolical smile.
What was so amusing? I wondered. Out loud I dared to say: “I have beaten you! You can’t follow me where I am going now. Within moments, I will be free, and you are powerless to stop me!” I was enjoying my moment of victory over the creature standing in his dark hallway.
But the count just kept smiling, and then his lips curled into laughter. His features relaxed, and before me, once again, stood the magnetic individual who had so mesmerized me earlier. The light from a nearby candle reflected off his fangs.
I began to tremble. Why was he laughing? I had escaped. All there was left for me to do was to turn and walk out the door to my freedom. This second attempt could not fail. I turned swiftly—and ran headlong into Max. I had no idea where he had come from; he had not been there moments before. I screamed at the top of my voice. The tragedy of my plight was hitting home. Also, I was praying that someone, anyone, passing by on the streets beyond those trees would hear me and come to my rescue.
My eyes pleaded with Max just to let me go, but he remained where he was, staring at me with a stone-cold look. I knew he was remembering the lies I had told about him and what he had suffered at the hands of the man behind me. I had no doubt who Max feared more as I caught a glimpse of the scratches on his cheek. My shoulders drooped, and my eyes looked down to the floor. Max would be of no help to me now.
The count’s voice echoed to me from the hallway: “Where did you think you would fly to, Little Bird? Bring her in, Max, and return her to her room. I am weary now and would like to retire.” He turned and headed down a set of stairs, which I presumed led to the basement. “I will see you tonight, Virginia darling,” he called back, his voice emphasizing what seemed to be one of his favourite words, darling.
I turned to Max. “Please, Max, let me go. I won’t tell anyone about this place, or that you kept me here against my will. I just want to go home. Please!” I grabbed Max by the arm.
Max brushed my hand away. “I am terribly sorry, Miss Virginia; it is impossible for me to let you go. If I were knowingly to allow you to escape, the master would not stop at this!” Max pointed to the scratches on his cheek, confirming my suspicions.
“But what is it that keeps you here, Max? You are obviously not one of them; I mean, you are not like those two, are you? If you were, you would not have been able to stand where the sunlight could reach you.”
“No, I am not one of them, my dear, but he is my master, and Teresa is my daughter. So, you see, even if I desired to let you go, I would not. He would harm her, and I could not live with that. I would never dream of putting your life over that of my own daughter.”
So that was the connection between them. Teresa was his daughter!
I was not ready to give up yet. “But we could go to the police; we could tell them everything, and they would stop the count from harming your daughter. They could even help you and Teresa get out from under his grasp by locking him up where he cannot escape!” I was definitely pleading.
“You think so, foolish one? I think not. They will not stop the count. Not those mere mortals. He cannot be locked up. He has more wit and experience in his pocket than any of them will gather in their entire lifetime. He can only be stopped by—” Max never finished his sentence. We had arrived at my room.
There was no need for Max to push me into the room this time. I walked slowly through the open doorway, my shoulders sagging. I went to the window and stared out at the sunshine. In one night, I had gambled twice, and I had lost twice. The moon had disappeared into the sun’s embrace, and I was still a prisoner.
After awhile, I lost total track of time. The sky started to darken. Angry black clouds rolled in. We were in for another vicious storm. The day was promising to be a match for my despondent spirits.
I ambled aimlessly over to the bed and lay down on the soft coverlet. I stared up at the canopy ceiling. No matter where I was in this house, I was surrounded by diabolical figures. Was there nothing sacred here? I closed my eyes to shut out the evil that surrounded me. I might as well sleep. Everyone else in this house was sleeping now, at least Teresa and the count were. I was still unaware of everyone who might reside here, and I was still not sure if Max ever slept. Sleep would help me regain my strength and sharpen my wits. Unconsciousness descended quickly on my tired mind and body.
Story from the Past
Chapter Five
I awakened to a light knocking on the door. “Who is it?” I called out.
“Teresa.”
“Come in,” I summoned. I sat up in bed, gazed down at my rumpled clothes, and realized I had not changed since I had stumbled into this place. I badly needed a bath and a new set of clothing.
Teresa entered. As though she had just read my mind, there she stood with some clothes draped over her arm. “I am sorry not to have brought you a change sooner, Virginia, but you must admit, you have not been the most congenial of guests. You are rather,
how shall I say it ... hard to keep tabs on. If you follow me, I will take you to the bath. I’m afraid, though, you will not be allowed to have privacy. The count is furious at your escape attempts. You are never to be left alone again, unless in a locked room, of course,” she added with her peculiar smile.
I followed Teresa into the hallway. My first impulse was to run; logic told me I would not get far. Teresa led me into a large room. In the centre was a massive round marble tub, which had already been filled with water. I noticed I would have to climb three steps and then descend four steps that were immersed in the water. Heavy red velvet curtains hung on all the windows in the room. Two dark mahogany dressing tables—without mirrors, I observed—were sitting against one of the walls. The rest of the room, with the exception of a decorative wooden partition in the far corner, was bare. The bath chamber smelled heavily of flowers, briefly reminding me of the time I had attended a friend’s funeral—a forewarning?
I glanced around, searching for the fragrant bouquets. There were none that I could see, so I assumed the pleasant odour was from scented bubbles in the bath water.
Teresa came up to me. “Here, Virginia, let me help you off with your things.”
“It’s okay. I would rather do it myself, thank you,” I stated curtly, backing a few steps away from her. I resented her offer. Had she not heard of privacy while bathing? I glanced around the room. “If you don’t mind, I’ll change behind that,” I said. I scooped up one of the towels that had been set out by the tub and headed for the partition.
“As you wish,” I heard Teresa say as I walked away from her.
As I was undressing, I studied the workmanship on the dark wooden panels. These pictures, like all the rest in the house, sent an eerie sensation through my body. They were full of strange night creatures, such as bats and wolves, but the figures were not totally animals either—there was a human trait to them. There were vast castles, where large stones had been chiselled with the utmost precision, sculpturing the most evil-looking gargoyles I had ever seen. All of the gargoyles had protruding fangs. Nowhere did I observe windows in the castle walls where the sun’s rays would be allowed to enter; however, crescent moons were visible in every corner of the panels. And nowhere did there appear anyone who looked totally human. I unclasped my cross and hid it in my clothing. Now was not the time to use it—not against Teresa, anyway. There would be another, more adequate, time for it to come into play.
Night's Gift: Book One of the Night's Vampire Trilogy Page 5
