My Curse, My Revenge: Chapter 1

The silvery moon hung high among the bright stars as the snow glistened among the frozen tree tops. The path we traveled on was not straight or clear but covered by fallen tree branches and roots along with small holes made by the woodland creatures that scurried around. There were many tall trees in that particular area. It was part of the reason she, the beautiful woman I called my love, fell in love with that specific area of the country in Europe.

The snow that night found its way into my dark colored shoes, but the cold from the melting snow was barely noticeable to my unnaturally cold skin. My pale muscular hand held onto a smaller, slender hand. I turned my head for a glimpse of the pale beauty known as my companion. Snow fell around her, landing on her bare shoulders and auburn colored hair. Her bright, green eyes were staring into my bright blue ones. The small but full red lips of my companion turned up into a beautiful smile. Never leaving site of our path, I turned to walk backwards. Only by memory was I able to step around the tree roots and fallen branches that laid along the ground covered by snow. The cold wind caused my own long black hair to blow forward. It acted like a curtain when she reached her cold hand up against my cheek right before she kissed my larger, less defined lips. She didn't look how many women do today in the magazines. My love had curves, but she wasn’t what I would consider big. She was perfect with her oval face and a cute button nose. Her high cheek bones use to make her blush quite noticeable before her heart ceased to beat. The thought of her blushing always made a smile appear on my face. The only time a blush was seen on her face after her ‘death’ was after she fed. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was the most beautiful blush I have ever had the chance to witness.

“We should get back,” she stated turning us around, I guess she thought it was her turn to walk backwards. Her reddish colored hair blew behind her in the cold winter wind. “We need to get a few things done before daylight, like get the cabin ready.”

I looked down at her blood splattered purple dress; her usual dress for a night of hunting animals in the forest. The top part of her dress contained the most blood. I used to think it made the corset part of the dress look even better. Thinking of it now, it did. It gave her a horror movie type look. It was like she was the secret killer no one expected due to her sweet and beautiful exterior. It was more than just her appearance that was sweet. She was naturally sweet before she was turned, and her sweet nature was only emphasized afterwards.

“I think we can manage that,” I picked up my pace to close the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her.

She giggled. Oh, the sound of her beautiful giggling. The sound reminded me of the sun on a warm summer day. The heat of the sun was something I missed dearly, and that is what she helped to remind me of. Her happiness could have brought a whole room of mortals who had been locked away for many years the feeling of the sun, the feeling of joy.

I let go of her waist but tried to keep hold of one of her hands. A smile seemed to be permanently attached to our faces as we began to run towards our tiny one room cabin in the woods. I stepped in front of her in order to lead the way. Her laughter filled the air. The sound danced through the night sky. Even the stars seemed to move with her laughter. I was so enchanted by her happiness, I hadn’t noticed when she stopped laughing. I didn’t think anything of the moment of silence. In my head she was still smiling her beautiful, unforgettable smile. Had I thought differently, perhaps my past would be different…happier. I looked back at her. My smile faltered when the terror filled her eyes. The arrow had pierced her heart and caused her to fall. I was able to catch her before she was even half way to the ground.

“Elena,” I whispered, slowly moving us both to the ground. Her head laid in my lap as a tear escaped my eyes and landed on her cheek.

I wrapped my hand around the arrow to pull out the object causing the tears to roll down her face, but a burning sensation struck my hand along with the scent of burning flesh. I took another look at the arrow. It was made entirely of silver. I ripped part of my blood covered white shirt and wrapped it around the arrow.

“Hold on, sweetheart,” I told her in a soothing voice. I was trying to calm myself more than I was her.

I gave the arrow a tug. Her high pitched scream caused whatever little woodland creatures around us to scurry off into the night. Some took off into trees while others just got away to anywhere they could reach.

“Elena, hold on, please,” I begged her with one last tug.

“I love you, Dragan,” she raised her hand to brush my long dark hair out of my face. That is when she crumbled. Her body disintegrated. She became nothing but dust. It happened so fast. She was there one second, the next she was bone, and then dust. My thoughts spun in my head. There was no sense that could be made. My thoughts had never spun to that point of confusion. It was as if there could have been a visible cycle in my head.

I screamed. I screamed so loud I must have woken heaven for the snow began to come down in fistfuls. I took the only thing there was left of my dear Elena, a golden locket with a tulip etched onto the front and put it around my neck. I felt the locket’s cold surface against my chest. As I stood, an arrow passed right by my arm. My gaze turned toward the direction in which it came. A few yards away, two people were seen standing on the branches of trees with arrows that shone in the moon light. I sprinted toward the tree. Brown, white, and a bit of green seemed to whirl around me. The only real objects I could see were the two humans standing up in the tree. Hesitation wasn’t in my nature when I arrived at one of the branches. There was a graying haired man standing tall. I’m sure he believed he was showing no fear, but his fear gave off a scent that betrayed how he truly felt. Without thinking, I grabbed his throat and brought him closer to me before biting into his dirty tan neck and breaking my vow to the woman I loved. The blood was so sweet and rich. It was a taste I had not had in about a century. The heavenly liquid didn’t last long. I had forgotten how to savor the taste of human blood.

I looked up at the other human who was frozen in fear. He was only a boy compared to the middle aged man I had just consumed. His bony legs were shaking. His quivering tan hands caused the bow and arrow to fall onto the ground. I can only imagine how my red eyes, blood covered mouth, and sharp fangs looked to the helpless young man. The still warm blood dripped off my chin and down onto my clothes where it seeped through my pant leg. It ran down closer to my shoe the closer I got to him. Some of the blood had fallen onto the pure colored snow, tainting it with its red stain. I seized the man’s neck and dragged him closer with ease. My teeth found his small neck. The blood was so much sweeter than the other man’s. I let it flow freely into my mouth. The boy’s mouth was open to scream, but the sound was frozen deep inside him. He was in a silent terror, locked inside his own mind. The light soon disappeared from his gray eyes. I dropped him onto the cold ground and wiped my face with my sleeve. My white shirt was mostly covered by the blood of my victims, both human and animal.

I trudged back to the cabin through the snow. My footsteps left crunching noises behind that could have been heard for miles, but to my ears there was nothing to be heard. My eyes focused on nothing else around me. My feet led me back to the only home I knew. They lead my way back in an unbearable silence until the cabin was within sight. I could hear the sounds of crackling fire and wood snapping. The was cabin slowly burned to the ground. There was a roar deep down inside myself that never quite made its way into the world. Everything of my beloved Elena was gone. My knees grew weak, collapsing under me as I sunk to the ground. The snow covered my legs and all the way up to my waist. The body containing me collapsed face first. I sunk deep under the snow with even more snow and ash piling on top of my vessel. I knew the sun would soon rise, but I didn’t care if the sun destroyed me. That destruction would have brought my peace. It would have been a peace I wouldn’t be able to achieve for many years. Not even with the dead like slumber that consumed me could bring an ounce of peace for my weary soul.