A Trick of the Light

Short story about a vampire's love for a young girl.

Waiting he watches and rocks. No sound penetrates his gloomy tomb. Bile and the stale smell of rancid, decaying flesh fills the air around him. God had forsaken him, given him into the care of the soulless monks. Now he was as putrid as the rats. Cast out of the world, separate, unclean, ancient and undead.

Long ago he had stumbled into this lonely place, hungry and desperate for shelter. The dull flickering of a tallow candle and the strange muttering drew him.  Trapped forever, his crimes known and eternal punishment his reward, he had become insane.

The first time he saw her was a crisp, clear November morning. A child taking small, skipping steps on the path by the woods. The clean light of youth washed over his cankerous soul. He smiled and in a moment was transformed, whole and joyous again. Her innocence washed him cleaner everyday and the years sped by. The monk's torture faded and he lived, a little, in the world of light.

Years passed, but to him, she stayed eternally young. He noticed, as the years passed, that other children came with her. They held her hand and pulled on her clothes. These children of the light then bought other children with them and all the laughter in the world seem to fill his soul. Then nothing. The emptiness filled him and he howled with the grief and pain of loss. His world again turned black as the night and his soul.

Cursed, lifeless and abandoned by man and God. Life eternal, the monks torture and his punishment for the lives he had taken, the flesh of the innocents he had consumed. Madness slowly returned, muttering and cursing, still he could not escape his fate. The sunlight burnt him and at night his tomb was locked by a thousand holy words spoken by the wickedly pious monks more than two hundred years before.

Time passed, he did not know how long. Eventually he saw her again. Young and bright and light as a feather, as she skipped on the path by the wood. Sunshine filled his soul and in a moment he was sane again. Watching in glorious shock as the as the moon began to pass across the sun. Finally he could escape, renew himself and feed. His salvation skipped not a hundred yards from his tomb. Opening the door at the very last moment, as light and dark merged, he ran towards the place where she was standing.

Nothing, his eyes transformed for night saw only emptiness. Alone, he stood shocked as the first rays of sunlight hit him. The cleansing light burnt through the dead flesh on his bones.  All his sinsiridecent in the fire and light.

The ghost paused on her daily walk and smiled up at the tomb on the hill. Maybe she would tell her mummy of the burning ground or maybe.... Then all thought was gone as she continued home where her mother was eternally waiting.

Author's Note

Started life as a brief synopsis for a vampire novel.

Reviews

[BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE]

Very atmospheric and chilling to boot love your play on words here what a wonderful imagination you have dear it is your gift keep me informed on any new postings i will also check your booksie writing soon as i am sure you will have your hands tied uploading all of your work on this site,i have 50 titles on booksie now and would have considerably more if i change some of my block poems from 6 and 4 in to single postings but this is so time consuming don't you think?

[Terry Ellis]

Interesting story. Alive or dead, it's amazing what a child can bring out in someone, or something, isn't it?

[Cherry Berry]

Driven mad by time. Well penned. I loved this piece.
xox
Cherri