Death or Damnation
by Dan Bonser

	Nighttime.  A night as dark as any he could remember.  It was times like these he relished being alive...well almost.  Alone, at his beach condo, staring out at the ocean, as it crashed against the shore.  It was a warm night, that night, the wind blowing enough to make the curtains dance around his body.  He breathed in deep, the salt air tickling his sense of smell.  He enjoyed this exquisite privacy, knowing that there was noone within a mile.
	The beach was secluded by cliffs on 3 sides, ocean on the other.  It had taken a considerable amount of money to own this property, and influence to.  And he was quite amazed that he was able to do it at just 25 years of age.  4 years out of college, and 2 successful businesses under his belt.  That thought prompted a smile as he turned from the window.  A year ago his ex, Claire, had contacted him, wanting him back.  The smile broadened on his lips then, he knew she only wanted his multi millions dollars.  That was when he decided to buy this place.
	He made it to his bed, and removed his sweat pants, completely revealing his body to the night, and then laid across the bed.  He looked beck across the room, at the curtains around the window, fluttering in the wind, and was surprised he wasn’t surprised he saw Her.
	Her strong facial features lit by the starlight, as she stared out the window, just as he had been doing a moment ago.  Her eyes going through the past, just as his did, as she studied the beauty outside the window.  The fluttering curtains gave her this...odd look, like the vampires in the horror stories, with dresses of mist that shrouded their bodies, in this beautiful flowing gown look.  The let out a sigh at the shear beauty of the scene, as his body slowly tensed from the shear terror that was trying to take hold of him.  He wouldn’t let it, he would fight it, and he choked it back to ask, “Does it look to much different, than it did?”
	Her grin near made him melt, and made his heart speed up.  “I can’t remember, it has been so long, probably would not know anyway, then, I lived only in the desert.”
	He watched her expressions change, and tried to etch her face into his memory, as he found he had after their last meeting...in a club, five years ago.  She then put on a sly grin and said, “You aren’t going to mention how little I changed?”
	He laughed, his deep voice resonated off the barren walls of the large bedroom.  “I’m not that dense, I know what you are, and I know you don’t age, or change much.”
	Her grin then turned on him, their eyes met, and his heart simply stopped, as did his breathing.  Such beauty, such knowledge, such shear terror....  “You are correct, but you’ve changed....”
	He then looked up at the ceiling.  His breath was coming raggedly, he was getting...studied.  It was hard not to think about....cattle.  “Your muscles are bigger, you have toned your body, since we last officially met.”
	His laugh then wasn’t forced, he was amazed.  “Thank you, I think.”
	“You think?” she asked, he heard her bare feet slowly step away from the window, and start approaching the bed.  “You have a problem with compliments?”
	He looked at her again, and near died when he saw she had no clothes on either.  Her stark beauty like a statue of marble.  Perfect in every dimension.  Her grin only made her that much more beautiful, “You seem to have a problem with breathing also.  Both could get you into trouble in your existence.”
	His grin was forced this time, forced to keep his jaw from gaping, “I have never been faced with such beauty, nor...”
	“Terror.”  Her short hair stirred against her forehead as she looked down on his body from the edge of the bed.  “I can understand.”
	His eyes studied her’s, and he breathed, “I know.”
	She leaned down, and kissed him gently on the lips.  Her eyes welled up with tears, yet never overflowed.  She then breathed against his cheek, towards his ear, “I have searched my entire existence for you, and your more magnificent than I’ve ever dreamed.”
	His blush was obvious, especially to her.  “That’s....high praise....”
	She had a seat beside him on the bed, purposely close to his hand, close enough to make him brush her bottom as he moved it out of her way.  She then scooted closer to him, putting the small of her back into his kidney area.  He stared up at her face, above the beautiful profile of her body.  Her hand moved to his cheek, and slowly traced the features of his face, “You know why I am here?”
	He swallowed hard.  He had known, he had been dreading, yet longing for this day, since the first day he met her, in that club.  Always looking over his shoulder in the night, watching the windows as he slept.  For five long years, every single day, he had to remake up his mind, of what his answer would be....  Eternal life, as one of the most feared fabled creatures on the planet, always hiding, slinking through the underbelly of the world, feeding on whoever gets in the way, never seeing the light of day again, never being able to look at a pretty girl again, as just a pretty girl.  The human race would become his cattle, to destroy at his whim.  Or live out the rest of his life, giving up this cursed blessing, and never really knowing what he missed out on.
	“Yes, I do.”
	Her index finger traced his lips, as if wanting to feel the words come out of his mouth as she asked, “And your answer?”
	He hesitated, the biggest decision of any human on earth, damnation or salvation, life or eventual death...but life at what cost?  He made his decision, not a rush to judgment, a calm calculated decision, the thing he knew he wanted, what his body screamed for.  He leaned up off the bed, startling the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, or imagined, as his lips met hers.
	It was her turn to gasp.  He kissed her with such a passion, passion she had not experienced in many centuries, passion she might never have experienced.  Her body started to limp, and lay backwards, as his tongue longingly explored her mouth.  If he was scared of the elongated teeth in her mouth, or their sharp points, he gave no notion of it.  Without warning her head came to rest on the sheets.  She was surprised she had lost since of that distance, but was excited all the more, her arms intertwined behind his head, pulling his mouth deeper into hers, as she returned his kiss all the more.
	He pulled away from the kiss for a brief moment to look deeply into her eyes, as he climbed onto her, and her legs parted, “My answer, right now, is I want you, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I wanted to make your body ack.  I want you.”
	His lips met hers again, as he gently slid into her.  It seemed so short, yet so long, so tight, so hard, so much grunting, and passion.  Both lost in each other, him sweating like he was submerged in water, her body straining to exert as much passion as she could.
	Later, she sat up in bed, “Dawn will come in a couple of hours.”
	His hand slid down her back, “Yes it shall.”
	“I don’t want to leave.”
	He sat up also, and put his arms around her, his arms still moist, her skin dry, except for his sweat.  “I don’t want you to, either, but you must, and so much I.”
	She traced his arm, “I’ve...I’ve never made love like that.”
	He kissed the back of her bare neck, “A desert princess, and you’ve lived longer than Christianity, and you’ve never made love like that?”
	“No, I’ve never loved anyone as much as you, or wanted anyone as much as you.  I want you by my side, forever.”  She turned and looked directly into his eyes, all the way down to his soul, “Become like me, let me love you forever.”
	“Okay,” nothing like a blind leap to make a man grin.
	She took his hand, and led him out of the room, down, into the basement of the condo, which he had specially prepared, just for this.  He had always felt silly when he had it built.  The construction crew gave him a very weird look when he told them to make it, “crypt like”.  Now he was glad he made it.  Completely sealed off from sunlight, which would be along, shorter than he wanted it to.
	She gave him a quick explanation of the ordeal ahead.  “I hate to say it, but this will be the most painful experience you are capable of feeling, period.  I would go into details, but we don’t have time.  Every cell in your body will change, and it will feel like you are getting ripped apart, piece by piece.”
	“Thank you for your honestly.”
	She smiled as the entered the basement, the darkness all around us, she guided him deftly though the room, like she could see in the pitch blackness, he guessed she actually could.  “So how does this work?  I drink your blood?”
	Her slight laugh sounded humorous, “No, but close.  There are too many different stories about us out there....  I mix my blood with yours.  Vampirism is almost like a disease, but it requires direct blood to blood contact for it to be passed.”
	He laid back on the stone floor, luckily she had laid some thick sheets down, “You didn’t do much for accommodations down here, I see.”
	He laughed and said, “I didn’t know when you were coming for me....I waited.... so long at times.”
	She stroked his cheek, “I understand, I had to wait, to make sure you were ready.”
	He leaned up and kissed her, gently in the dark, “I’m ready.”
	He laid back down and felt her take is right hand.  She caressed it for a few seconds, then bit it.  It was worse than getting stuck with needles or nails.  His inhale was sharp, her teeth went deep into his palm, as she had to restrain so hard to simply drink.  He was aware of this, he could not imagine how hard it was....not yet....  She then bit her own hand, and wrapped it around his.
	He could feel her blood slowly seep down to where his blood was seeping from.  The two warm flows coalesced into one, then a slight burning sensation made his hand spasm.  He felt her rise and walk away.  Fear clenched him, he had to face it alone...in the darkness....  His scream resonated off the walls, reverberated back to him, and he hurt his own ears.  His back arched like a bow, head and toes only parts of him touching the ground.  Pain washed over his body, Pain worse than he had ever even imagined.  Yet he knew...deep down in his soul...this was just the beginning....