As I stared at my castle, my mind was cast back to when I first heard the news of my wife�s death. I was training the King�s army in a rugged mountainous area. I was teaching my troops how to fight hand to hand combat when a low ranking solider, the kind used as a messenger approached me.
�Count von Krolock?� He asked, looking up at my horse.
�I am he,� I replied. �What is it you want?�
The messenger reached into his grubby saddle bag and held a letter out to me. �Sir, I was instructed to deliver this to you.�
I took the letter and read it. My blood seemed to turn to ice in my veins. �What do you know about this?� I asked angrily. I could barely control my grief. �How did she die?�
�I�I don�t know anything about it Sir. I�I w�was j�just instructed to give you that letter sir,� he stammered.
I paid the boy no mind and just continued to stare at the letter in my hand, rereading it, noticing the note was written in a hasty manner, probably by Professor Reichenberg. �Return at once,� it read. �The Countess has died.� I always thought that she wandered into the woods and was killed by the wolves that lived there.
As I stared at the castle, an unknown feeling of dread washed upon me, making me suddenly frightened to ender the stone building. I was frightened at the thought of being without my beloved Madeline, and having to raise my son without her guiding hand.
My thoughts were interrupted when the drawbridge lowered, as if by magic. When it was completely down, I took a deep breath and crossed the threshold. I proceeded down the long cold corridor only when I heard the drawbridge begin to rise behind me.
�Sir,� a voice said to my right. I glanced over and saw the knotty black hair and the small frame of my servant Boris limping painfully over to me. �I would have prepared the horse and rode to meet you if I had only known when you�d return.�
�It�s all right Boris,� I said handing him my cape. �Where is my son?�
�He is upstairs with Professor Reichenberg,� Boris replied. �Sir, I am very sorry about Countess��
�Tell my son I wish to see him at once,� I said, cutting my loyal servant off mid-sentence. �I�ll be in the library.�
�Yes Master, I�ll tell him immediately,� and with one final nod, Boris limped off to fetch my son, the Viscount von Krolock.
I walked into the library and sank into one of the worn brown chairs in front of a dying fire. Sadly, I stared at the painting of myself and my late wife Madeline on our wedding day. I studied her beautiful features in the painting and remembered how stunning she looked.
�Father?�
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard my son softly enter the room. �Come in Herbert,� I said, attempting to keep the sadness from my voice.
Herbert nervously stepped into the library and gently closed the heavy oak doors behind him. I studied my son�s features, his pale green eyes, his fair complexion, his smooth white skin and his curly rust colored hair that fell over his shoulders like a mane. I suddenly realized how much he looked like his mother.
�How are your studies going with Professor Reichenberg?� I asked, standing in front of my son.
�Fine,� he replied. I could hear in his voice, that he was attempting to hold back tears and I saw the pained expression on his face.
�Herbert, come here,� I said, opening my arms to my son.
He ran over to me and buried his face in my white shirt. �I missed you so much Father,� he said, his voice muffled from the fabric of my shirt.
�I know,� I said, pushing back his curls. �I am so proud of you.�
My son suddenly attempted to pull away from me. When he realized I wouldn�t allow him to, he hung his head.
�Son, what�s wrong?�
�You shouldn�t be proud of me,� he said, tears were beginning to fall down his cheeks.
�Why?� I asked.
�I was crying Father. I wasn�t being strong like you.�
I suddenly felt a pang of regret pierce my heart. I realized that I shouldn�t be so hard on him, that he was only a boy. �It�s all right to cry,� I said once I found my voice. �Everything is going to be just fine.�
Herbert hugged me tightly and pressed his head against my muscular chest. �Father, please don�t go away again,� he pleaded.
My mind was so full of regrets and sadness that I could not bare to break his heart. �I won�t Herbert. I won�t leave you alone again,�
�You shouldn�t have left in the first place Giovanni,� a voice said inside my mind. �You should not have left Madeline and him alone for so long.� I knew the voice was right and I hugged my son tighter.
After several minutes, I very gently disengaged myself from my son�s grasp. �It is getting late and I�m sure Professor Reichenberg wants to finish your lessons for tonight so he can return to his home. I will see you in the morning. Good night son,� I said gently.
�Good night Father,� Herbert said leaving the library and gently closing the door behind him.
Once I was certain my son was in his bedroom, I left the castle via the side door and walked into the woods until I reached the stream Madeline and I first met so many years ago. Only when I reached that spot, did I allow myself to cry. I knelt down on the cool ground and sobbed until my face hurt and my entire body rocked from the intensity of my sobs. I was so distraught, that I tore great chunks of earth from the wet ground. �Madeline I am so sorry! I wish I had never left!�
�Giovanni,� a voice said from behind me.
I quickly lifted my head and gasped at what I saw.
Standing in front of my was a tall woman with long curly red hair that hung over her shoulders like a lion�s mane. Her fair skin glistened white in the moonlight. Her emerald green eyes started at me and hungrily she licked her lips. �Giovanni,� she whispered once again, this time her voice was soft and enticing.
I rubbed my eyes with my muddy hands and stared at the woman standing five feet away from me. �Madeline,� I whispered, my voice was filled with uncertainty. �Is that you?�
As an answer, the woman closed the distance between us until I could gaze into her eyes,
Rational through was pushed from my mind by fierce emotion. I rushed forward and embraced the woman that stood before me. I held her tightly, afraid if I let go, she�d vanish as quickly and as magically as she appeared.
I needed to touch, needed to feel her soft flesh against mine one more time. I began kissing her body, every piece of exposed flesh on her delicate frame. I ran my hands through her red curls and held her face in my hands, leaving muddy smudges on her milky white skin.
�My God Madeline, I love you,� I said, my voice shook with emotion.
�I loved you too Giovanni. I loved you with all my heart, that�s why I am sorry.�
�Darling what are you talking about? I am the one who should be sorry not��
Suddenly, I felt a searing pain staring in my throat that ran through my entire body. I could do nothing; just scream silently as I stated at the woman who now held me tightly in her grip. I attempted to wriggle out of her grasp, bus she held on to me with fierce intensity, burring her teeth deeper into my flesh. I felt a burning pain, a pain like I had never before experienced in my life and silent tears cascaded down my face and fell to the ground. I felt my strength begin to leave my body and dark patches swam before my eyes. I attempted to remain conscious but soon weakness and pain came over me, and everything went black.
I awoke sometime later, face down on the soaking ground. I was vaguely aware of voices around me, but their words all ran together. I attempted to stand, but pain filled my body and I was forced to remain lying down.
Suddenly, I felt strong hands grab my shoulders and roughly lift me. Pain seared through my body, but I could not find my voice to protest. The hands pulled me into a sitting position and I was aware of another face in mine. I squinted hard and saw the large black eyes, the cracked skin, the misshapen nose and rotten teeth of my servant Boris.
His tears fell on to my skin, and I could not fathom why he was crying. I attempted to say his name, but all that came out was a slight gasp.
�Professor, what happened to him?� I heard Boris ask.
�The same thing that happened to Master Herbert,� I heard Professor Reichenbery reply.
�Are they��
�Yes Boris, they are both dead,� the Professor replied.
What were they talking about? I wasn�t dead, surely they could see that. I could hear every word they were saying, feel my loyal servant�s tears on my skin. I was not dead.
�What happened to my son?� I attempted to ask, but I realized that my mouth would not form the words.
Suddenly panic seized me. Why couldn�t I speak? Why were they saying Herbert was dead? Madeline was the one who was�
Then, my memory returned to me. I remembered kneeling on the back of the stream when I saw Madeline. I embraced her, kissed her skin. I remembered how cold her skin was against my warm lips. I remembered how deathly pale she had looked. I hadn�t cared about that. I only cared that she was there, in my arms once again.
I remembered her apologizing and then I remembered the burning pain that ran through my body, I remembered the feeling of her teeth buried deep in my throat. I remembered feeling weak and then I must have passed out.
What did my love do to me? I didn�t feel dead. I could still feel pain. Someone dead couldn�t feel pain, could they?
�What killed them?� I heard Boris ask, his voice shook and more tears feel on my face.
�It appears like they were bitten by Vampiricus Horricicus,� the Professor replied. He then turned my head violently to the left, blinding me momentarily with pain. �See the puncture wounds on his neck?�
�Yes,� Boris sobbed. He hugged me tightly and rocked back and forth. �He was my only friend Professor, the only person who cared about me.�
�I know Boris, but there is nothing we can do. Come with me, we must fetch a steak and drive it through the hearts of Giovanni and Master Herbert.�
I saw the look of alarm in Boris�s eyes.
�It�s the only way to save their immortal souls,� the Professor replied, gently touching Boris�s arm.
Boris placed me back on the ground and limped away, behind Professor Reichenberg.
Immortal souls? What were they talking about? Suddenly I felt terror for my son. They were going to kill him. My closest friend and my servant were going to murder my son in cold blood. I attempted to stand, and again I failed. On the third try, I ignored the searing pain in my body and slowly pushed myself onto my knees. I looked around and saw Herbert, lying a few feet from me, his face was death pale and crimson blood covered his white throat.
I crawled painfully over to him and cradled his body close to my breast. My only son was lying in my arms not moving. I began to cry and I couldn�t stop.
I looked up at the sky through tear filled eyes and saw there was no sunlight, and darkness was beginning to fall. How many hours elapsed between when I saw Madeline and when I awoke? How much time had passed?
When the last ounce of daylight dissolved into darkness, Herbert�s eyelids gently fluttered. In a few moments, he opened his eyes and blinked several times.
�Father?� He asked uncertainly.
�Yes son, I�m here,� I said suddenly finding my voice.
�Why are you crying?�
�No reason,� I replied, wiping the tears from my face.
�I saw Mother last night,� he said, his voice sounded older than his seven years.
�So did I,� I replied.
�She spoke to me.�
�What did she say?� I was curious as to what Madeline said to my son.
�She told me she was sorry for what she did to you, but she had no choice. She told me she was going to do the same thing to me. I was about to ask her what she meant but before I could, she had her teeth in my throat and I passed out,� he said, his eyes filling with tears.
My throat was dry, and I stared at my son in disbelief. Professor Reichenberg�s voice suddenly echoed in my mind. �They�re dead�bitten by Vampiricus Horricicus.� Suddenly I knew what happened to me and my son. We were now the undead, damned souls forced to stalk the earth and feed on unknowing victims, drinking their blood. We were doomed to live for eternity.
I looked up at the sky and laughed manically. A new life was about to begin�