The Vampire And The Orphan

Lettie started to run once she left the gate. She ran down the driveway and stopped when she reached the dirt road. She took a moment to catch her breath. She looked up at the ancient, stoned house she’d just left. A tear found its way down her cheek.

She’d miss Ella and the kids that came and went. Early on, she was heartbroken every time someone got adopted.

She tried for a while to avoid getting close to the other orphans, but that plan didn’t last long. Lettie didn’t have it in her to ignore them. They were always so sad when they first arrived. How could she not comfort them?

“Damn it, Lettie!” She spoke to herself in the dead of night. “You’re free! Let’s get moving!”

With that, she did force her legs to go. She made her way down the road in her white nightgown and bare feet. She could see a paved road up ahead. Was that the way to go?

North. It’s north. She continued. Suddenly she didn’t feel so sad anymore. She spent year after year wishing she could leave. It might be scary how it happened, but it did!

She started to hum a little tune as she walked. Her voice rang out, filling the empty night air.

“Oh!” Suddenly she felt a burning sensation in her chest.

The necklace Ella had given her was glowing. The stone was burning hot.

“What is happening?” She asked no one.

As the words left her mouth, she saw it. It was in the distance, very far in the sky. A dark black cloud floated heavily through the sky. She didn’t know what it was, but it felt so wrong. She took one step towards it, and her necklace grew hotter.

“Ouch! Stop it!” She yelled at the blasted thing.

She stepped backward, further away from the thing in the sky. The stone cooled some. Was it meant to warn her?

No time! She could swear she heard Ella’s voice in her head for a second. She didn’t waste any time reflecting on it; she just ran.

Do not let that thing near you! She was sure it was Ella’s voice now.

Her legs pumped with all their might as she ran as fast as she could. Once she reached the paved road, her bare feet started smacking hard with each step. It hurt bad.

She stopped for a second under a streetlamp to catch her breath. The necklace stopped glowing and was calm again. She looked up at the sky and no longer saw the thing.

Did ducking into the light make it go away? She wondered as she glanced up at the streetlight.

Ella? Talk to me. She begged silently to little avail. Was she on the right path, at least? Where was this, he?

She glanced over and noticed a bunch of wildflowers alongside the road. Several had been crushed.

She hurried over to them, nervously leaving the streetlight. Luckily, the necklace stayed cool.

Poor things! How could anyone be so cruel as to crush them like this? She knelt closer and took a better look. Maybe she could save them if she could get them into the water and re-root them. She didn’t have a bag, but she did have her flannel. She slipped it off and set it down. She could wrap them up in it. So long as she was careful. Once she figured out where to make shelter, she would tend to them. She carefully squatted down. She began to uproot the damaged flowers. She was slow and careful to not harm them any further.

She was focused on her task when she heard footsteps on the gravel behind her.

“Oh!” She gasped as she stood up.

She whirled around to see a tall man walking towards her. He was dressed all in black and was hard to see clearly. He was walking in the shadows and staying out of the hue of the streetlight.

“Are you the one on the path?” She asked with a curious tilt of her head.

Nathanial drove from the bar out unto the main road. He headed down past a dirt road and went ahead. He intended to take the next right onto the highway when his car suddenly stopped.

“What the?”

It was a new car and shouldn’t have had issues that soon. The radio turned on next, and he knew it wasn’t engine trouble.

“Chuck Berry?” He laughed out loud as Maybellene came blaring through the speakers.

Witchy intervention was happening, it seemed.

“Okay, Greta. You have my attention.” He said out loud. “I thought I was supposed to go to the house?”

Instead, the driver’s door unlocked itself. Okay, then. He heaved a sigh and got out. It was quiet, but he could hear a heartbeat in the distance. He followed the sound towards the next street over.

He spotted her standing under a streetlamp as she caught her breath. A girl. A beautiful girl with light brown hair, silky and long. It framed a heart-shaped ivory face. She was slight and petite. She was dressed oddly in a long white nightgown with an overshirt. She wasn’t wearing any shoes, and her feet were swollen and dirty.

What was she doing out there? Dressed like that? He noticed a necklace that looked sort of witchy. So, they did miss an heir. How though?

He sensed it then. They weren’t alone out there. One of his kind was nearby. Someone was stalking her. Did she know? She was running, so maybe?

Was the promise another young witch to guard? It sure seemed it. He’d never be free of that damn oath, would he?

The girl then suddenly made her way over to the curb. What was she doing!? She took her flannel shirt off and knelt. She then started tending to a bunch of flowers.

What in the!? She had a vampire wanting to eat her, and she stopped to play with flowers. Suppose she was his new charge. She was going to be the biggest pain yet.

The wind picked up, and she shivered. He caught her scent as it did. He nearly dropped to his knees. Her blood...it smelled better than anything he’d ever smelled.

He needed it. He had to have it. He felt his face start to change as his fangs throbbed.

She jumped up and whirled as the other vampire stepped out from the woods.

“Are you the one on the path?” Her sweet melodic voice pulled Nathanial from his bloodlust in an instant. Just like that, he was back in control. He found himself mystified. He didn’t get urges like that anymore. Who was this girl?

The other vampire started to laugh as he stalked closer to her coldly.

“What... what are you?” She sounded terrified as she caught a better look at him. “You can’t be the one- but this is the path, right?”

“I’m your worst nightmare, baby girl.” The creepy vampire got closer. His fangs gleamed brightly in the dim streetlight.

“You’re a vampire!” She gasped the word as she stumbled backward.

Nathanial readied himself, fully alert.

Save her! Greta’s voice called out in his head.

The other vampire had started to lunge at her. Nathanial dove out after him. He cut him off long before he could get near her. He pushed him backward with all his force. The other vampire’s back hit a large oak tree. Nathanial’s face morphed into the monster as he growled at the man.

He heard the girl scream loudly but had to focus on the task.

“Let go!” The vampire grunted under his grip. “I found her first! I smelled her from miles away.”

“Not today.” Nathanial firmly.

He kept his hand around the man’s neck, pinning him against the tree.

He was younger and no match for Nathanial’s strength. Even with his bloodlust, he couldn’t begin to escape Nathaniel’s grip.

“You can have her. Just let me go.” He said feebly.

“You’ll never be able to forget her smell. You’ll drain her dry the second you get the chance.” Nathanial said, and the vampire didn’t argue that.

“What?” She whispered in a horrified gasp.

“You’d have been so tasty too.” The guy gave her a leering stare, and she shuddered from it.

“Back away from here.” Nathanial directed his words at her as he held the guy still.

“You’re both vampires.” She whispered in a shaky voice.

“Ding ding! And we both want to eat you.” The guy snickered at his joke.

Nathanial studied him for a moment. He felt like something wasn’t right. This guy was too young. It changed very recently, maybe even within the last decade.

“Oh my, gosh. Ella, help me, please?” The girl whimpered out loud; of course, she was terrified.

“I am not like him.” Nathanial gave assuring her of his best effort.

“How do I know that?” She asked in a shaky voice.

“I was sent on this path to find you,” Nathanial told her. Her face relaxed some when he said path.

“You. Are you the him then? Ella sent you?” She asked, her eyebrows knitted in concern. Ella must be her witch, he deduced.

“Isn’t this sweet.” The guy sneered.

“Someone like her did. Will you just back away, please?” Nathanial said firmly.

Finally, she listened as she stepped back away from the vampires. Reluctantly though. Headstrong little thing. He focused his attention on the man again.

“How old are you?” Nathanial asked him.

“Why do you care?” He scoffed.

“The Order might care.” Nathanial said casually.

The Order was established over four hundred years ago. After the species wars finally ended. It had been forbidden to turn humans into vampires since it was established.

“We don’t give a fuck about, The Order.” He said bluntly.

A rebellion? That surprised him. He’d laid low the last century or so. He had no idea something like that was happening.

“Who turned you?” Nathanial asked as he tightened his grip.

“I ain’t telling you shit.”

“Tell him, so he doesn’t kill you!” The girl cried out as she ran up to them again.

Nathanial turned to look at her warningly. She ignored his silent plea to back away, however.

Her eyes, a stunning shade of violet, were darting from one vampire to the other. Her long hair was blowing in the wind. She had her arms wrapped around herself. Her body was beginning to shake from the cold. He needed to take care of the situation and get her warmed up.

“I’m already dead, girl.” The guy laughed.

“Tell me who turned you,” Nathanial demanded again.

“I got nothing to say to you.” He said. ”Unlessmaybe I’d be willing to negotiate for a price.”

His glowing blue eyes scanned over the girl. She shuddered under his stare. He seemed to enjoy her fear. He snapped his fangs at her, and she jumped back. Her face paled in fear. He laughed again, and Nathanial had about enough at that point.

“Time to say goodbye,” Nathanial said to him, having enough of him.

“Wait, don’t kill him; maybe there’s another way!” She begged.

“He wants to kill you!” Nathanial said in an exasperated tone.

“I won’t.” The guy flashed her a smirk. “I’ll just have a little nibble, hmm?”

She shuddered again and cringed at his words.

“Don’t you get it?” Nathanial said. “He will tear your throat open. Then he’ll drain every ounce of blood from your body.”

The girl looked terrified at that. She stared at them wordlessly. Did she worry he’d do the same? For a fleeting moment tonight, he’d felt bloodlust for her. He’d always had such control; what was it about her?

“Close your eyes.” He said as he looked at her.

“Why?” She narrowed those eyes of hers at his request but didn’t close them.

“So, he can kill me without scaring you.” The guy laughed at that. “The hell kind of monster, are you?”

“Why do you taunt him!?” She cried out.

“Who doesn’t want to have a little fun before they die?” He laughed evilly. “I was going to have a blast before I killed you. It wasn’t going to be much fun for you, though.”

“That’s- ” she gasped in udder shock. “How can you say those things!?”

“Well, I get off on your pain. We can’t both have a good time when you’re dying.”

Her mouth had opened at his words in a silent gasp. She backed up finally, albeit just a step.

Nathanial squeezed his throat tighter to shut him up.

“Do you get it now? He’s a fucking monster. Will you please close your eyes?” Nathanial looked at her tiredly.

She whimpered but finally shut her eyes tight and turned the other way.

“There will be more of me. We’ll do away with the ridiculous Order and their rules.” The guy said in a cocky tone. “We will reign supreme.”

“Enough,” Nathanial grunted.

He drew his hand back and pushed it hard into the man’s chest. He ripped his heart out in one easy motion. The guy fell to a heap at his feet.

Nathaniel quickly lifted him. He brought him deep into the woods using his superhuman speed and dropped him there. By morning the sun would rise and burn the body. He stepped back out to find the girl standing there on the road.

“You killed him.” She said simply as he drew closer.

She still smelled like nothing he’d ever longed for before. He was glad he’d fed earlier and had the control he did.

“It was the only choice.”

“Maybe he could’ve been talked down.” She frowned as she shivered.

“No, not him. He was too young; he hadn’t learned control. He had, however, learned to track. He’d have never let you go.” He said in a dark tone.

“You don’t know that!”

“I do, little girl.” He said in a colder tone. “I’ve been around a long time.”

“Don’t call me a little girl like that.” She cringed at his harsh words. “I’ve been an adult for three days now!”

He nearly laughed at that. He didn’t have time to find humor on this weird night.

“You a witch then?” He asked her as he looked down at her necklace.

“No.” She held the necklace in her hand. “I... I didn’t know witches were real... or vampires or any of this! Ella - told me to get on his path. Yours, I guess.”

“This Ella, gave you that necklace?” He asked.

“Tonight, and told me to go north.” She nodded her confirmation.

“Why?” He looked up at the sky for an answer that wasn’t coming.

“A witch told you to find me?” She asked.

“It was much more cryptic than that.” He told her, not to mention fifty years ago, but she was freaked out enough as it was. “What did your witch say?”

“Very little.” She frowned. “The orphanage isn’t far! We could go talk to her!”

He glanced at her necklace. It was probably too late for that. “I don’t think we have time for that. We should just keep moving.”

“Where?” She asked.

“I have a house in the mountains.” He explained. “I’m supposed to go there. That was the promise I made.”

“Your house?” She asked nervously.

“I’ve protected an entire coven of witches for centuries.” He said in a calm voice. “You’re safe with me.”

“So, you’re like a hero?” She asked.

“No!” He scoffed at that. “Do not call me that-

“What’s going on?” he stopped abruptly as her necklace started to glow all weird.

“Oh no, not again!” She quickly ran towards the streetlamp.

He looked up and saw an ominous and thick black cloud. It was far into the distance. It wasn’t any usual cloud. There was something very off about it. He had a strong urge to get as far from it as possible. He didn’t do fear, ever, yet he feared that damned thing.

It disappeared as fast as it came. He looked over to find her ducking under the light.

“I think the light makes it go away.” She explained hastily.

“What was it!?”

“I don’t know, but it’s bad. It’s terrible.” She said with a shudder. “I feel it.”

“Yeah, me too.” He looked off to the sky. It seemed like it was never there.

“We better go.” He motioned for her to follow him.

“I don’t even know your name.” She frowned.

“It’s Nathanial. Or Nathan, I guess.” At some point, he modernized it depending on when and where he was; he’d use Nathan sometimes.

“Well, what is it?” She asked, “I don’t want to have to call you Nathanial-Nathan that’s a lot to say.”

“Whatever you want to call me.” He grunted. “Can we go? My car is just a little ways from here.”

“Don’t you want to know my name?” She asked, as she finally started to follow him.

“Yeah, sure.” He urged her along as they walked. He kept looking up at the sky.

“It’s Olette, but I go by Lettie.”

“That’s an old name.” He commented.

“Oh wait!” She stopped suddenly.

“What?” He turned.

“The flowers! I have to save the flowers.” She turned and ran back to the curb where her crushed flowers lay.

“Are you serious!?” He exclaimed, “We don’t have time for that!”

“It didn’t come back for a while last time.” She said as she knelt. She started digging out the flowers carefully and slowly.

“Can you at least do it faster?” He urged impatiently.

“Why not come help instead of standing there with grumpy Gus about it.” She shot back.

“I’ll help you, but don’t ever call me that again.” He said in a warning tone as he begrudgingly made his way over to kneel next to her.

“You said I can call you whatever I want.” She said as a little grin tugged at her lips. “That seems to fit.”

“Just hurry up.” He said through gritted teeth.

Greta? He thought to himself, an easy promise, alright.