Dark Fear

Miles stretched. He didn't know why he clung to the 'old ways' of being human, such as stretching when he woke, but it seemed as if he did it without thought. Subconsciously.

He did a lot of things that way, subconsciously. Occasionally he'd even find himself breathing, something no vampire ever needed to do. But Miles did it. In fact, at times, he relished it. The only breathing vampire. What a novelty.

That wasn't the only novelty that set Miles apart from the others, but it was the only one he publicly claimed. Even now, as he stretched, he thought of Claudette and their agreed upon rendezvous at dusk.

Vampires were not able to be in full sunlight but were allowed the slightest bit of the most beautiful natural light all living things craved. So it was that Miles only hunted two hours before night fully fell and two hours before the sun fully rose.

Miles smiled to himself as he thought of the lovely temptress Claudette and her innocence. It was only her innocence that would bring her to him, as surely as her innocence would bring her death. All in good time, Miles thought.

He dressed in his usual black garb and left the chateau even as the sun dipped below the horizon. The gray haze on dusk brought a dream-like quality to the French buildings. Miles took in air and let it out, sighing, another of his human passions.

Claudette stood before the café, her eyes seeking his instantly. They were beautiful eyes, golden brown, like her hair. Silky tresses that waved and lifted ever so gently with the breeze. She captured her lower lip between her perfect white teeth and Miles fantasized for a mere moment changing her into a vampire. But the fantasy passed, as it always did, when he reached her side.

“Good evening.” He said thickly and bowed at the waist.

“Ooooo!” She giggled as he captured his hand and brought it to his lips. As he placed a kiss upon her tan flesh, he could feel and smell her blood coursing through her veins. “I thought you would not come.” She said, in her girlish voice.

“I would not miss a moment with you.” Miles smiled as he reluctantly released her hand and straightened. She blushed quite becomingly and Miles took her by the arm. “Come.” He said as he led her away from the café and down the rapidly darkening street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claudette trembled as Miles pivoted slightly and shoved her away from him.

“Damnation!” He growled as he quickly judged the distance from the alley to his home. He’d never make it.

“What is it, darling one?” Claudette asked as her voice shook.

“We have tarried too long.” Miles said and felt the cold fear touch upon him once more. “Much too long.”

“’Tis not that late, lover.” Claudette said as she reached for him. Miles jerked away. He knew he was frightening her. He had led her into the alley, fully intending to kill her at long last, but her gentle kisses had trapped him once more and he became lost in her embrace.

“’Tis far too late for me.” Miles growled.

“You are wasting time even now.” Claudette said with all the innocence of virginity. Miles shut his eyes.

“I’ll never make it.” Miles shivered, human emotion once more surfacing. “Never.”

“Mayhaps if you run.” Claudette suggested.

“Yes.” Miles opened his eyes at the thought of it. “Yes, my love, that is it. Maybe if I run.” He knew his voice had become fevered.

“We’ll run together.” Claudette said as she took hold of his hand and tugged him from the alley.

“Yes, together.” Miles said as he allowed himself to be pulled along for a short distance before overtaking her and running full tilt toward his home, his sanctuary. “Not going to make it.” He said as leaned into the run. Claudette was hindering him but he could not let her go, not now.

Even as they reached his door, darkness fell fully and Miles threw himself at the wood, clawing at it madly. Claudette reached under his flailing arms and turned the handle. In a rush, the door flew inward and Miles followed. Claudette entered calmly, shutting the door behind her.

“Tell me, Miles, why you fear the dark.” Claudette said but Miles did not answer her. He was trembling with intense fear for the house was dark as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claudette lit candles with patience and ease. She had seen Miles, the most seductive man she had ever laid eyes upon, reduced to a cowering mass of fear. Even to a virgin sixteen-year-old, Claudette felt that there was something to his fear, something she could hold and claim.

Once the inner sanctum was awash with light, Miles sat up and tried not to whimper. Only humans whimper, he told himself, but the sound came anyway. He was more ashamed of that than of his fear of the dark.

He had never quite understood why he feared night. As a human it never held such a foreboding evil for him as it did now, as a vampire, a night stalker.

He would have died, he knew, if he weren’t allowed those dusk and dawn hours to hunt. Miles stood and dusted off his clothing, relieved that he had remembered to leave the candles lit.

It took a moment for realization to dawn upon his night fogged mind. He hadn’t left the candles lit. That had been the problem.

“Why are you afraid of the dark, Miles?” Claudette asked and Miles turned to face her.

In the dim candle light she looked like a goddess. Miles felt shamed that he had wanted to crush so precious a life, so genuine a spirit.

“Leave me, Claudette, for I am an evil man.” Miles said.

“I do not believe you are evil.” She said as she studied him.

“I am for I had fully intended on killing you this night.” Miles said.

“And I had fully intended on letting you. But now, all things have changed. Now you are only a man to me.” Claudette replied.

“Only a man. I can never be only a man.” Miles smiled ironically. “If only.”

“Yes, if only.” Claudette moved forward then, unlacing her gown. “Ravish me, Miles, as a man, then kill me as a monster, it matters not to me.”

In the dim candlelight, Claudette allowed her purple gown to fall away and revealed her youthful body to Miles’ hungry eyes.

“I cannot.” Miles swallowed. “No longer.”

“Much longer.” Claudette replied as she fell upon him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miles woke to find all the curtains drawn and Claudette naked at his side. He had taken her numerous times upon the dust covered wood floor before the stairs, beneath the candlelight. Now, in the dim candlelight, since most had burned themselves out, he looked at her body with silent wonder.

He saw the blood upon her lips and the paleness of her once tanned skin. Even in the dimness, Miles longed to toss her away.

Claudette stirred, opened her pale green eyes and smiled. Miles flinched. He had changed her. He had killed her.

“Good morning lover.” Claudette said and Miles watched her red lips move gently as she began to caress his chest.

“I am sorry, Claudette, I did not mean to change you.” Miles was about to push her away but she latched onto him and bit into his chest, taking some of his blood and giving untold ecstasy.

“My lover.” Claudette murmured as she released him and stood, staring at a flickering flame in silent thought.

“What are you thinking?” Miles asked as he drew on his clothes and picked up her discarded gown.

“It was more passionate everytime.” Claudette said and Miles knew she was lying.

“I took advantage. What are you thinking?” He asked again.

“That you are weak and that I hate you. I will leave with the sun.” She said and Miles knew that he would have to face the dark alone once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miles lit another candle and shivered as he watched the dark take hold in corners. He cringed as he thought of the darkness covering him, taking hold of him, crushing him beneath its silent weight.

He had fed, thankfully, shortly after Claudette left he hunted and feasted. Now, he cowered in the semi-darkness and battled his irrational fear alone.

She had been so compassionate before he’d changed her. During death, all things that once mattered are lost and the person releases their hold on humanity.

Miles clung to it and wondered where the fear came from and why it remained. He sat upon his stairs and stared at the door, waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It has been a long time, Miles.” Claudette said as she cornered him outside a tavern a half hour before dark.

“Indeed.” Miles said as he glanced about nervously.

“I have given it thought, Miles. In fact, every night as I hunt in the dark I think of you.” Claudette stated.

“Do you?” Miles asked, not the least bit interested.

“I know why you fear it.” She said.

“You think you know.” Miles replied.

“No, love, I know why you fear the dark.” She drew him close and whispered in his ear. “I love you. Your weakness I loathe but you I love. I can take it away and then we can be together.”

“Can’t you love me with my one fault?” Miles asked as he pulled away.

“No.” She said.

“Why not?” Miles questioned.

“That is too…I don’t know…too mortal, isn’t it?” She seemed to ponder that a moment. “Yes, that’s it. Too mortal.”

“You were mortal once.” Miles said.

“Yes, once.” Claudette agreed. “I can take it away.”

“Why?” Miles tried to leave but she held him in place.

“I know you do not love your fear, do not relish it. It holds you and you hate it. I can take it away.” She insisted.

“Leave me.” Miles said and managed to pull away from her. He ran, faster than the night he dragged her along, and reached his home easily. He never journeyed too far away.

The candles were lit and waiting as Miles shut the door. He saw her on the stairs and he could go nowhere, for outside darkness had fallen and she would never let him go.

“Goddess of the damned, what do you want with me?” Miles asked.

“To free you only.” Claudette said as she moved down the stairs easily. She held a single candle in her hand.

“Then tell me.” Miles said.

“You fear the dark because you know what exists in the dark, you know that monsters truly do rise with the blackness and that no soul is safe, no matter how good and pure that soul may be.” Claudette moved along the tables and shelves, blowing out the candles one by one. Miles watched the cloud of darkness following her, thickening as each candle was snuffed out.

“So?” Miles asked as she retired the last flame and the only light that remained came from the single candle in her hand.

“So, you are the monster in the dark, you are safe, for you are the hunter you fear.” And with that she blew out the last candle.

Fear choked Miles, coming so strongly and quickly he wasn’t aware that it was waiting for the final light to go out. He turned about, anxious to discover a ray of light, a beam upon which to escape. A strangled cry tore from his throat.

“I am here.” Claudette said as she touched him gently on the arm. “We are the vampires of the night, the evil of the dark. We are all there is to fear for there is none greater than us.”

Miles felt the pressure lesson as he saw clearly as day without the light. He could make out minute details he never noticed before. He could see Claudette standing clearly at his side. He could see the smoke rising from a few wicks. He could see the titles of the three books stacked beside the door.

He faced Claudette as all fear left him and he realized he had feared himself, feared who he was and what he had become.

“You see?” She asked with a kind smile, reminding him of the virgin girl he had destroyed so easily in the candlelight.

“Yes. I see.”