The God Meets Death
The streets of southern England swarmed with maggots and rats. Everywhere one looked there was death. The plague had taken much of the country, and Aeneas sat back and watched it all.
Aeneas walked through the streets and looked into the homes to see the dead and dying. Nowhere was there one immune to be seen; except for him. Doctors wandered house to house wearing the traditional white masks with the elongated noses to protect them from certain death. All those mortals he had somehow become close to were now dead. He would not change them into the living dead for he wanted to spare them the torment. How they begged him; like a child begging for food they begged him for eternal life.
The night air was cold and reeked of rotting corpses. Aeneas walked to the home of a beautiful woman he had been talking with and stopped at the door. He hated walking in uninvited. He knocked lightly and she answered with a smile.
�Aeneas. So good to see you. Come in,� she said walking away from the door.
He entered slowly and she closed the door behind him. She led the way into the kitchen where she was boiling water for tea. She was wearing the fashion of the times, the bright fabrics which were tight around the chest and flowing below. He sat down at the table and she stayed at the stove.
�Where is your father?� he asked politely.
�Out caring for his patients. I warn him of the risks of not getting enough sleep. If he doesn�t rest soon he will come down with something that could lead to this awful plague. Would you like some tea?�
�Yes, please.�
She came to the table with two cups of tea and sat down next to him. He took the cup and held it. He loved the heat of tea, and since he couldn�t taste much of it, drank every last drop. He took her hand and stared into her eyes.
�My beautiful, let us flee this place. I could not stand to see you fall prey to the plague.�
She smiled and looked down.
�Aeneas, I cannot leave my father here, and he won�t leave, trust me, I�ve asked. He just will not leave his patients even though they are all doomed.�
�Please leave him. We can go to a far off place, just the two of us, and live in our love. We shall marry.�
She laughed.
�Aeneas, that cannot be. For one, you have not asked my father for my hand, and two, he will not let me leave.�
�Become your own woman. You do not have to get your father�s permission for everything.�
�It�s more complicated than that.�
�My beautiful Bethany, please leave with me.�
�I�m sorry, but I cannot.�
The door in the front opened and her father soon entered the kitchen.
�Ah Aeneas, so nice of you to stop by. Have you news of the outlying counties? Have they been stricken?�
�Sadly yes. Most are dead. It is truly an awful sight.�
�Have they no respectable doctors there?�
�Even if they did it would not help much. Those who get the plague shall surely die with or without medical attention.�
�That is just nonsense.�
�Father, would you listen to what Aeneas says? He has seen the country and what has become of it. There is no helping the cursed people. May we leave so we do not become ill as well?� Bethany pleaded.
�How many times must I tell you that I will not leave my patients to their death?�
�They will die anyway,� Aeneas said.
�I have made my decision!� he said storming out of the room.
Bethany sighed and looked again at Aeneas.
�Where would we go if we were to leave?� she asked.
He smiled and kissed her hand.
�Perhaps to the French countryside. Anywhere but here.�
�Come to me tomorrow night. We shall elope then. Now you should go, father is already in a foul mood.�
He stood up, and with one last kiss, left her house.
Just after sunset the next night he was on Bethany�s door step. Quickly she opened it. She was lovely as ever, with suitcases in hand.
�I told father that I was leaving. He didn�t seem to care much,� she said after quickly kissing him.
�Then let us be on our way.�
�How are we getting there?�
�I can�t tell you that. You just have to trust me.�
�I do.�
�Then go to sleep.�
Under his spell, she did as he said. She slumped over into his arms and he picked her and her suitcases up. Upon his will they both rose into the air and were on their way to France. In a matter of an hour they were at their new home. Far away from the cities and all the people, their house stood. Surrounded by trees and other wild growth they were hidden from those unfortunate enough to pass. The other people were taken care of, now it was a matter of explaining himself to his beloved Bethany.
They flew into the house and he sat her down on their bed. Slowly she stirred. She jumped up and looked around, wondering where they were.
�Don�t worry my love. This is our new home.�
�How long have I been sleeping? Surely more than a few days have passed.�
�You�ve been resting for no more than an hour.�
�Are we in France?�
�Yes.�
�How did we get here so quickly?�
He sighed.
�Do you love me?�
�Of course I do.�
�No matter what?�
�Yes. What is wrong?�
�I am not what I seem. I have wanted so to tell you what I am, but I was so afraid of losing you. How I have hoped that you would be the one which was promised to me.�
�What are you talking about?�
�I am� A vampire.�
She smiled.
�Very funny. Where in England are we? How did you manage to pull off such an elaborate prank?�
�This is no prank. I am what I have told you. Please do not be afraid. I still love you with all the love I am capable of giving.�
�Prove it.�
�What?�
�Prove to me that you are what you say. Show me.�
He opened his mouth wide and showed her the sharp fangs he had been cursed with centuries before. She cringed and backed up slightly, but still kept a curious and loving air about her. After a moment she leaned forward and stretched out her hand to his mouth. He backed away from her.
�I don�t want to hurt you,� he said.
�I want to know how they feel. Please.�
He sighed and did as she asked. She ran her finger across his fangs and cut her skin. He closed his eyes tight trying not to be tempted by her.
�Why do you fear me so?� she asked smoothly.
�I do not fear you. I fear what I might do to you.�
�Do not fear it; it is what I want.�
His eyes shot open.
�What?�
She brushed her hair away from her neck and never broke her stare.
�I want to be what you are; I want to be with you forever.�
�Why aren�t you shocked by any of this?�
�I knew something wasn�t quite right with you. This explains a lot. How I never saw you during the day; why you never ate anything; how you could walk amongst the villagers and not contract the plague. Now, please� take me.�
�You don�t know what you�re asking of me. I could not bestow this torture upon anyone; let alone what that I love.�
�But you must have done it to someone. How else could there be more vampires?�
�Well� You have me there, but all those were done by mistake. The first few were just to see if I could, and the others I was saving from certain death.�
�But I will die eventually.�
�These were different. These were untimely deaths which should not have taken place.�
She searched the room and found a fire poker. She jumped from the bed, grabbed the metal pole, and plunged it into her stomach.
�Bethany!� Aeneas yelled jumping up and catching her before she hit the ground. �What are you doing?�
�I want to be with you, and if dying is the only way for it to happen then so be it. I love you,� she said running her fingers through his curly black hair. �Don�t make me lose you.�
His eyes widened and he smiled.
�You are the one.�
�I�m dying! Please do not waste time talking!�
He lunged at her neck and quickly drained her of almost all her blood. He looked down at her as her eyes began twitching. He leaned close to her ear.
�Tell me again that you want this,� he whispered.
With all the strength left in her she whispered �I do.�
With his teeth he bit into his wrist until blood poured out. He then placed the wound upon her lips and she began drinking greedily. He felt his strength beginning to dwindle and he fainted. When he awoke she was standing over him with a smile across her face. She leant down and pulled him up. She kissed him like she never had before.
�Take me hunting,� she whispered.
�Now?�
�Yes.�
�But we have just arrived. May we not be together for a single night?�
�We shall be together.�
�All right then. Come.�
After the two had drank their full, the walked home through the woods.
�What did you mean when you said I was the one?� Bethany asked.
�When I first became what I am I was told that I would find the woman who desperately wanted what I have and that we would bring about great things.�
�Am I that one?�
�I am sure of it.�
�Great things? Perhaps one day we shall rule the earth as King and Queen. All will bow to our feet and do our will. Oh Aeneas, it will be so wonderful! Can you imagine it?�
�I suppose.�
�Do you not want all the power of the world?�
�I�m a little weary of everything is all. It sounds too good to be true.�
She wrapped her arm around his waist and kissed him on the cheek.
�Never underestimate destiny, my love.�