The Depths of Darkness

by Laurie Bowler

  So much was changing. I’d changed into a creature with a second chance to live, but this time as I chose without the force of another power causing me to make decisions I didn’t want to make. And now my mother too had changed and was becoming the dominance in the relationship with my father, a sight I never thought I would ever see. Her gentle nature was still there, but so was some other womanly force and stark darkness she’d never shown before.

  “I don’t see how it changes me much,” I interrupted. “Father, you have to see I’m still me, your daughter regardless of how I am and what I eat. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m still here. Would you rather that I’d died out there and you’d be burying me right now?”

  “Of course not,” he choked. “I didn’t want you to go and fight in the first place, which bring s me to the real reason why I’m here. I want to apologise for what I said before you went out there. I was confused and hurt, not to mention scared stiff that you might actually die.”

  Luke quickly returned to my side and his presence seemed to be calming, my body shook with the sudden rising urge to embrace my parents, but I knew if I did it would end up to be fatal to them. I wouldn’t be able to stop the overwhelming need to taste, neither would I be able to stop myself from overpowering them with newly found strength and I’d seriously hurt then in a most tragic way.

  “I’m glad,” I smiled instead. “Forgive me for not coming over there like I ought to, but there is something that I need to warn you about. Since I’m a newly made vampire, you’re in danger being here around me. It’s not easy for me to say, but I’m afraid I might hurt you with my strength or that I might not be able to fight the thirst. Although,” I added at my father’s whitened appearance and my mother’s face which was aghast, “I have already eaten but I don’t know how it works. Luke, can you explain a little more please?”

  My face titled up towards him and to my astonishment he was amused by something; his eyes crinkled in the corners with the efforts to hide his smile and he coughed loudly to stop himself from laughing out loud.

  “Well,” he began slowly, “she’s right on some levels although because she has eaten, I don’t think you’re in that much danger,” he explained. “But on the other hand she has only just woken up and is slightly out of control in some ways, and others she’s doing remarkably well controlling herself.”

  They both whitened, my mother’s hand sought my fathers and gripped it tightly and her fingers turned white.

  “Are we in danger?” she asked. “Did it hurt? Are you in pain?”

  I laughed softly; she had no idea what it was like. To be honest, it was fantastic. I could feel the strength running through me, deep inside of me I felt the overpowering need to run and see how fast I could actually go, and not to mention to wrestle something just to see if I could win. The possibilities were endless.

  “No it didn’t hurt, and as long as you stay over there,” I said calmly, “you won’t be in any danger at all.”

  Darcy entered the room, stopping short when she saw my parents, her face lit with a whimsical smile that she directed towards them. Her entire self centered approach was a great start to try and smooth the atmosphere which had turned into something totally bizarre between my parents and me.

  I could sense their happiness and they were truly glad I was alive and in some sense of the word I was alive, more alive than I’d ever felt before including in my mortal life, although short it had been terrifying particularly towards the end.

  “Hi,” she said excitement rising in her voice. “How nice to see you again. And aren’t you just glad that Patty is here with us, alive and thriving?”

  “I am,” my father answered. “Patty,” he turned to me his face apologetic and his eyes swimming with unshed emotions which were rare for a man made of solid stone. “I am glad you’re alive, and your mother is right. I should be grateful that you’re still able to be here with us despite what you have become, and I know you’re happy; I can see it. I hope he treats you how you should be treated.”

  His final closing comment was aimed at Luke, who stood harmlessly beside me, shaking with unmistakable laughter, stopping instantly when he realised it was his turn to convince my father of his intentions towards me, the old fashioned way.

  “I will always treat her with respect,” he replied. “And I will show her as much love as I can every single day. Her happiness is my only concern and I won’t let her down, you have my word.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” he replied.

  Darcy again seemed to know when she should interrupt and began to offer around tea, to her delight my mother accepted and went with her to the kitchen, much to my father’s horror who sat and was half wanting to call her back and half of him wanted to go with them. Neither side won, his proud front slid easily back into place and the solid man who had always seemed to be made of stone returned.

  My own front collapsed as the final images of my human life left me, my body had calmly accepted the vampirism and embraced it, bringing with it the most wonderful new life for me to share with Luke.

  “Next step,” my father said, “you have to face the realm. I have word from them, they want to have a meeting with you tomorrow in the afternoon. Are you going to be ready for that?” he asked, his hint at my vampire state didn’t go unmissed and I nearly had to chuckle out loud at the way he side stepped the actually reality.

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Chapter seventeen

  It was a while before my parents left, and after much consideration and the gentle softness of my mother’s cries for me to visit her and bring Luke and Darcy whom she’d taken a particular liking; the pair had bonded well, which again struck me as odd. A vampire and a human having such an instant bond was a little strange, especially with my mother but then she’d always wanted someone else to call her own. I guess Darcy fit the bill entirely and she didn’t seem to mind one iota; she lapped up the warmth from my mother and eagerly accepted to visit.

  “We’ll visit soon,” I said in response making a mental note to make sure it happened. “Goodbye mother, goodbye father.”

  I stood motionless while they both embraced me, afraid to touch them. I did feel my mother shiver slightly and pull away with a curious expression. Unanswered questions lurked in the depths of her eyes, as well as the underlining love that I knew she had always felt for me, if it hadn’t been for my father’s last parting words from our last meeting.

  My body frozen and my arms straight by my sides, the tender touch of my mother’s embrace engraved itself on my memory. My father’s rough hands gentled when he noticed how stiff my body had become and instantly he knew what was running through my mind, food.

  “Come on dear,” he said cheerfully winking at me, “we’d better go.”

  “Please make sure you visit; it will be lovely to see you,” my mother continued saying to Darcy. “I really don’t want to wait a while so just call by anytime you like.”

  I shuddered, striking the wall with the remaining will power that I was calling from somewhere deep inside me, their smell was intoxicating and the magical pull to grab and taste them was overwhelming me. Luke clamped his arms around me and pulled me deep inside his own embrace, whispering gently words that I only half heard.

  “We have to go now!” I heard my father shout.

  My mother uttered ‘oh’ and then I saw her turn to me, her face shocked and pity took over. Gently she reached out to me and tried to touch me, but I shrunk further into Luke, feeling his strong arms clamp completely around me.

  “Just go mother,” I growled, the unbearable thirst was urging me towards them, begging me to take their lives to fill my own needs.

  “Take care love,” she whispered and finally the door closed, shutting them out away from me where they would be safe.

  “Is she ok?” Darcy asked worriedly chewing her bottom lip. “I guess it’s harder than you thought it would be, huh?”

  I nodded, ashamed at my own actions but greedy
to taste anything that I could pass through my lips.

  “Darcy make yourself useful and get something for her please,” Luke said through gritted teeth, disentangling me and walking me back to the front room.

  Benjamin appeared from nowhere, his frown of concentration and the knowing look passed between him and Luke. It was annoying to think they knew of my plight and yet they were useless to help me apart from make sure I didn’t harm anyone.

  The room was still partially blackened, the curtains and the wispy blinds that had once been on the windows were mere tatters and shreds of material, flinging uselessly in front of me but the chairs remained intact so did most of the other decor. It was the walls that had taken the brunt of the attack and also the curtains; the glass had been blown through and cleaned up at some point by either Darcy or Benjamin.

  “Will it get any easier?” I groaned loudly. “Will it ever stop?”

  “It will,” Luke smiled, “take this and drink it. A few days and you’ll feel better. We all went through the same thing and we know it’s not easy, but the first few days are the hardest to be able to control what’s happening inside of you. Your body has just gone through a massive change and the need to feed is at its peak but I promise you’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so,” I moaned.

  I drank thirstily from the cup Darcy appeared with, the crimson blood splashed to the rim of the mug, but I licked it to savour the taste and to keep every last drop for myself, such a waste letting it drop to the floor.

  “I nearly took them,” I said honestly after a few minutes of calming down. “I can’t believe I nearly took my parents. What is wrong with me?” I slapped myself angrily at my own failure.

  “Its fine and I think your father figured out what was wrong way before it actually happened anyway,” he consoled. “Benjamin can you make sure the animals are taken care of please?”

  I halted, animals, the only ones here were the Meniagier and they were my responsibility. There was no way anyone else would be taking them back through the portals, except me and I knew Luke wouldn’t agree right now. I had a sneaky suspicion he wanted me to rest, but resting was all I could do and I had an entire lifetime to do that.

  “No,” I stood shakily. “I’ll take them home. Luke you can come with me if you want to. But they are my ‘animals’,” I flung his term for them back at him, cheekily side stepping when he made a grab for me.

  His smile was wonderful to see, and a long time in coming. I didn’t want to lose the momentum of this moment here with my new family but then the Meniagier were a part of me as well, or so the records dictated. My DNA as weird as it was had been made to stand against the powers of Lilly and to make sure I was involved with every species and every demon so I could gain their full support in the plight.

  “Ok then,” he said gently following me out of the room and to the front door. “Do you think you can still use your magic?”

  “I think so,” I said thoughtfully. “You only changed my body to the vampire strands and species and not the power that I have to use magic, so I guess it’ll be alright,” I shrugged.

  The Meniagier stood waiting for me, the main largest one that I had come attached to, gently nuzzled my hand when I held it out to him. He shrunk away in shock he sensed and smelt the change inside of me and yet he was confused because I was still standing in front of him.

  “Its ok boy,” I whispered gently, stroking his fur. “It's still me but this time I’m alive in a different form. I won’t hurt you.”

  To my relief he licked me, the saliva ran sloppily down my cheek making me giggle while Luke openly cringed and reached out to his own three headed monster the remaining Cerberus. His positive approach with the monster was something I’d never seen; the trust and the instant affections from all three heads was a giant step towards the unconventional taming of an animal that belonged in the darkest depths of hell and not on earth.

  “He has to come with us as well,” I said nodding towards the animal. “I’m sorry you can’t keep him.”

  “I think,” Luke said laughing at me, “that you’ll find this is actually a female, and she’s expecting her own small family.”

  He pointed in the direction of the females bugling stomach and the gentle kicks of the babies she carried imprinted the outside of her body. She gently watched me, a sudden calmness seemed to have taken over her, which unlike the stories and the myths, was momentous sight to see.

  “I see she likes you,” he commented rubbing her head, well one of them gently. “She seems to want to have cuddle with you.”

  I stepped towards her slowly, my hand reached out while the Meniagier moaned and restlessly paced towards me wanting to have me all to himself.

  “Gentle,” I urged him backwards toward the rest of his pack while I ventured to make friends with this other oddity. Hhey there,” I said gently. She remained still, her eyes and heads watchful of my every movement. Warily she peered at me from all six eyes, and her lashes were drawn over her pupils so I couldn’t have a clear view of what she was thinking. Without warning she stepped closer and lovingly rubbed all three heads against me knocking me to the floor with the sudden force which was greater than my own newly found force.

  Laughing I stroked her heads and remained on the floor while she sucked up the affections I was offering, Luke laughed and gently stood holding onto her giant sized body. Her wholesome loving effect was a glimmer into something the animals could posses given the right atmosphere and the people they chose, and I guess it was their choosing for their own master and this Cerberus had chosen me and Luke.

  “Come on,” I sighed after a short while, “we have to go now.”

  All of them seemed to understand and stood huddled together waiting for me to open the portal. My magic came back to me as easy as if I hadn’t been turned, which was a surprise. I expected some kind of resistance because of who I now was, but instead it came back quicker and the a new strange acceptance washed over me. I was the new vampire high witch, meaning I now had the additional powers of the title to watch over the entire realm and all that it stood for.

  “Luke,” I called back when he didn’t follow, “are you coming?”

  He hurried towards me and all of us disappeared from the human world to enter the forbidden exiled world where the animals would be safely harboured away from fear, fights and they could live out their own lives in peace which is overall, something I felt they wanted more than anything.

  “You know I’m going to miss the Meniagier,” I said sadly when we reached the other side and the darkness succumbed back into the brightness of the dimension. “They’ve come to mean a lot to me.”

  “You can always visit,” he said, “and I wouldn’t mind coming along and seeing how she is and her pups,” he added hopefully.

  “I guess we can,” I said. “But we can’t make it a habit, they have to learn to live as they were before untouched by anything else but themselves and each other’s company. I just hope they don’t forget me.”

  “I don’t think he will,” he nodded in the direction of the oncoming leader of the pack as he paced in front of me and launched me onto his back.

  The parading of their farewell had begun. It was heart melting to know he was showing me the deepest respect that anyone could gain from these animals and his happiness was more than a little saddening because this was our farewell, at least for a while until I figured out how to control my powers combined with the thirst.

  “It's time for me to leave,” I whispered feeling a small tear prickle the back of my eyes and I blinked rapidly to dispel it as quickly as it had arrived. “I'll be back soon though.”

  With a final large lick down my cheek and the smell of his pack as they huddled around me, their stomping of their large feet drowned out the rest of the nature on this planet, and their farewell saw me back through the portal that patiently waited for me to return. Stepping to the other side into the brilliant starlit night, with Luke at my side my faithful lover th
at had remained with me right from the start without me even knowing it. Now I knew without a shadow of a doubt that his love was for real and never ending throughout time.

  “Now I have to prepare to face the realm tomorrow,” I said as the realisation hit me at the torments that lay ahead. “I don’t know how they are going to take the news that I intend to hold onto my title or the fact that now their high witch is a vampire and very much alive.”

  “They soon fled when you defeated them on the hill,” he chuckled in the darkness. “I guess you did something they didn’t expect you to do.”

  I laughed, the harmony that spread through me, and the amusement at defeating so many witches that at the time held so much more power than me. Stella and the rest of them who would undoubtedly be fighting for the title, their realisation that I was alive was soon to be replete the moment I walked into the meeting room of the realm. My father had warned me that the secret realm leaders other than the high witch had requested my presence which meant they accepted who and what I was and needed me to make my own appearance to quiet the rest and to produce my own reign; the entire congregation would be stunned.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” he offered as neither of us made a move to enter the house. The lights were on and I could hear the loudness of the conversations inside between Darcy and Benjamin.

  “I think I can handle it,” I replied bravely. “And besides I think you’re needed here more than with me to tidy up this place, especially if you want me to live here with you.”

  “What makes you think I want you to live here, hm?” he teased wickedly.

  “Oh well,” I said yawning, “I guess me and Herbert can always return to my humble apartment; we might be happier there anyway,”

  “You can stay here with me, woman,” he growled swinging me into his arms. His eyes held mine and I felt the glow of his love, “you can’t return to your apartment anyway.”