Written by Teravoc January 2004 (All copyrights apply.)
Working Title: Teravoc
Part Three
I was seduced. She seemed more then interested in me and now that names had been exchanged the seduction was complete. The drinks continued to flow and the conversations became more generalised the analysis was over and she was quite confident that I was alone and independent. She asked me to accompany her back to her hotel where she was staying. I could not refuse such an offer, to do so would have been unbecoming of me and I may have been working class but I was a definitely a gentleman. We walked to her hotel, she on my arm, me with one eye out for trouble. The night was a fog of coal fires burning in the houses that where lucky enough to afford such luxuries especially on a night as cold as this. As we walked the short distance, I offered her my coat but she refused. I could feel the cold badly and my body was already shivering though we’d not walked more than a hundred feet. As we walked I wondered how she managed to remain so composed, she didn’t even appear to sport a singular goose bump. She was completely oblivious to the cold that surrounded us. Thankfully, it was not long before we reached her hotel.
The hotel was a grand one; I had passed it many times. The Grande Thistle Hotel. I had only ever seen people enter with top hats and canes and none of your local riffraff either. Mostly travellers passing through or wealthy seafarers awaiting passage to France or Africa. I had heard that even royalty stayed there on occasion before moving on to their palaces and castles in Scotland. I purported Rapsodomy to be a very wealthy woman indeed. She turned as the doorman opened the door for her and she invited me in after her. I could feel warmth blowing out from the door as it was opened which made the offer more inviting although I have to admit even if it was colder inside than out, I would still not have refused her offer. As we passed the main lobby of the hotel I could feel eyes gazing upon me, I felt slightly uncomfortable, I was dressed in my work clothes and wondered how out of place I looked amongst all this finery. But as we walked through to the reception my confidence returned as she ordered one of the bellboys that were standing around waiting to be commanded, to fetch some wine to the room.
When I entered the room I was still shivering and she told me to make myself comfortable and reassured me that I would warm up soon. The bellboy shortly arrived at the door with two crystal wineglasses and an opened bottle of wine, he entered handed the cork to her and she sniffed and drew in its flowery bouquet and nodded gracefully. The bellboy poured two glasses, turned and stepped into the doorway, turning at the door with his gloved hand held out. Rapsodomy rewarded his services by placing a full shilling in his hand much to the obvious delight of the bellboy. Before he scampered off with his prize, she held his arm tightly and spoke softly to him. “Ensure we are not disturbed.” He nodded and left.
She closed the door tightly and turned the key in the lock. Then she turned back to the room and turned her attention back to me. She picked up the two glasses and motioned that we should both sit on the bed. She made herself comfortable, and I followed her. We sipped the new wine, which was richly dark and fruity, it was very fine indeed. Conversation commenced once more about our lives, about our backgrounds and our roots. Although she never really fully revealed any part of herself to me the conversation was still very fascinating. Soon, and to my surprise, the subject changed to one of a more sexual nature. This would normally be considered very forward of a lady but she had such a way of talking that it seemed perfectly acceptable to do so. She quizzed and probed and prodded in the most candid manner, even asked if I’d ever paid for sex! I told her that although it was common to do so that I had not needed to, having had plenty of offers from free-spirited ladies from the church I went to every Sunday. The night wore on is this fashion and we talked until dawn, me telling of my sexual encounters and her listening intently.
It was about this time I think that her demon was revealed to me. I was at the conclusion of a tale of sex and debauchery when I suddenly realised she had been sitting with her eyes closed. I studied her features. She looked like she had completely shut down. I have to confess that my first instinct was to touch her face. Instead, I reluctantly restrained the urge and gently tapped her hand and asked if she was feeling unwell.
She didn’t move at all and her skin felt cold to the touch. I was immediately afraid. She felt like a corpse, I knew what they felt like, believe me, I’d felt many in my time. I was at a loss as to what I should do. I pressed both her hands tightly in mine and she flicked to life again with a start, like a lamp being lit. She smiled as if all was well but it wasn’t. Deep in my soul I knew it wasn’t, and as if to prove it, her once jade eyes were now splashed blood red.
She twisted her hands out of mine reflexively and gripped them tight to her bosom as though in pain. I was frightened that she may have fallen victim to some illness. I asked her again if she was well. It was then that she grinned and at the same time revealed two very elongated, very perfectly formed canines. Her upper gum was bleeding slightly leaving streaks of red on otherwise white, albeit newly developed, teeth. I had seen a lot in my short life, witnessed a lot, experienced a lot too, I’d seen deformities, carnival freaks, murder, hangings, disease and pestilence and much more besides. And I knew she was different form any person I had ever met before but I had never even imagined anything like this.
I sat back aghast. As I did so she reached out and took both my hands in hers just as I had done with hers only moments earlier, bringing me closer to her again. I was frozen, paralysed in fear. She told me she was indeed well, her voice now deep and unnatural. My mind told me to pull away from her, to get the hell out of there and I tried to speak but she held me tight and leaned forward, stretching her mouth wide, in the blink of an eye she had me in her grasp. Her teeth gripped me by the neck. My mind raced as I felt my skin being pierced. Adrenaline began to its relentless course through my veins as my heart thumped loudly in my ears. My blood began to desert every vessel that once possessed it.
I was unable to speak or to move; I was trying to move my hands up to push her off but I couldn’t get them to acquiesce. I didn’t really know the term for what was happening to me but I knew it was very bad. As the blood surged out of my body I felt cold and empty inside but soon those feelings were gone. Everything she took from me that night was replaced by something much warmer and more powerful than anything I could ever conceive of.
Finally, I fell limp and gave myself to her wholly; then my body went into a shuddering kind of intoxicated shock. Everything fell silent; I couldn’t even hear my once strong heart beating anymore. She continued to suck the life out of me. It felt like I was falling. I was falling. As my head hit the soft cool bed covers, my foot kicked out and a wineglass toppled over gently, spilling a red and luscious pool on the bedspread. As I fell, she fell with me, on top of me. I heard her moan softly as my breaths began to shorten. My limbs began to tingle as the beating in my chest slowed to a soft slow pulse. I tried one last time to call out, to tell her to stop, but by then it was too late, my breath was gone. Darkness flooded into my mind and took me away from that place. A pitch-black coal-black darkness the likes of which I’d never known before but in it I could still see her face.
I don’t know how long I remained in that blackness but at some point I remember realising that I was beginning to think again. My body was filled with a vehement burning sensation although I could not move. I was completely lost, unable to do anything but endure this unwavering heat inside me. More thoughts matured in my brain. I remembered who I used to be but now it felt like I was being reborn. During that deep blackness all prior history had been somehow erased but I now found that it was beginning to flood back to me, in torrents, gushing into my brain and the unused crevices of my mind. The more I began to remember, the more the fire inside intensified. It quickly became too much I was forced back to consciousness from my own death. My eyes flicked open I saw nothing but a pure white light; my whole body tensed and contorted. Intense tingling wracked every inch of my body but slowly it somehow eased the fire to a tender glow. I strained to sit up and blinked furiously to regain and refocus my vision.
I was still in the hotel room Rapsodomy was at the foot of the bed, watching me, that smile still dancing on her full blood stained lips, her eyes more emerald than ever. She nodded slowly and spoke in a tender emotional voice and I swear to Almighty God that as long as I exist, I will never forget her words.
She said, “Welcome to your new life. From this day you will only ever be known on this earth as Teravoc Sang. These words are taken from the Ancient tongue of my people and to us it means “New Life”, and you will call me Mistress.” As she spoke, she embraced me like a mother. In her arms all my pains and anguishes spewed from me like a receding tide. In her arms I let her soothe me. She held me for hours and as she held me she explained the gift with which she had honoured me. But it was not long before I was forced to feed myself to end the pain of my new hunger and support my new life.”
Teravoc tossed the quill he had been writing with skilfully into the inkpot and slammed the book closed causing the candle to flicker out. The room fell dark but light from the open door and a full moon hidden behind a lightly overcast sky allowed enough light for Teravoc to leave. He strode confidently and effortlessly out the door. Closing the door behind him he locked the room shut.
“Mistress I’m finished, I’m coming to get ready for you now.” When he spoke his voice was unusually high pitched. He was very excited.
“Good darling, now come help me with my zip.” Mistress Rapsodomy replied in the same tone.
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