The Sacrifice (Legends Of Transylvania) (3 page)

On reaching home his reflection in the mirror confirmed the warning and he could almost compare his own deathly pale skin to
Volod’s. Outside he was trembling because of the cold wind and rain, but he suddenly realized that his body no longer reacts to temperatures – intensely hot or freezing cold are no different to his senses. His eyes had blood in them and the light from the bare bulb above was causing him to cringe and cover his face, so he turned it off and went to bed thinking that maybe a new day will bring a new meaning and all that has happened was just a bad dream. However, he also knew that he needed peace of mind to fall asleep if he wants to wake up from the nightmare he was experiencing.

4.
Bloodlust

  Alexander’s wishes for a peaceful night were not granted. He was disturbed by nightmares and visions of the crash, seeing
Ariana’s tears and hearing the screams. He wasn't feeling sleepy anymore, so he spent most of the night tossing and turning to try to find the peace which never came. Another sign that he was becoming one of them. He picked up his guitar and began to play a happy tune to try to take his mind off things, meanwhile he remembered that some of his old school friends were in town so he made arrangements to go out and meet them. They had moved away to go to jobs in other areas and they were back for a reunion.

As he left the house he was grateful that the rain and the strong wind has died down, but there seemed to be an awful dark and depressing cloud looming high above him wherever he goes. As he walked along the pathway he met Adrian, one of his old school friends.

“Alexander?” Adrian asks in a tone that suggests he is not sure it was really him at first, and he stared at him with eyes that were a mixture of curiosity and concern. ''

“Adrian!” Alexander exclaimed
, looking very pleased to meet him “How are you my old friend?”

“Come and have a coffee, Alexander?” Adrian suggested, still staring at him curiously “And we can catch up on all the gossip. I am meeting Andrea, Paul and Stefan from the old gang there today. You should come with us like we always used to do.”

They all met outside the door of the coffee shop and greet each other full of life and joy.

“Hello, Alexander. It’s been a long time and it’s nice to see you again.”

Paul chirps enthusiastically.

“Well, we actually met by chance last year didn’t we Alexander?” Andrea said with a laugh ‘‘...But I have to say you had a lot more color in your cheeks then and your eyes seem very tired today?”

“Yeah, you could do with a holiday in the sun.” Stefan quipped.

‘‘I’ve had a cold for a week. I can’t sleep and i have fever .“

Alexander answered trying to excuse the strange way he knows he had started to look.

‘‘Having fever should make you red and not pale?” Said Paul looking strange at Alexander, but as he didn't get any answer he stopped questioning.

Andrea was a very pretty and sensuous girl and she liked Alexander very much, but on their previous meeting, his memories had made him look sad and not interested in her, so even though she wanted to, she didn’t try to approach him in a sexual way. Alexander knew she wanted him but his heart and mind have been with Ariana. However, for some reason, on that day the way she flirted with him as she noticed him looking her up and down with want in his eyes, made her heart pound. He raised his firm chest within his shirt and began to sniff harder as his sense of smell became much stronger and he detected the scent of her body and the blood within it. He was not used to have such rude thoughts… but that day he wanted… even needed to have them.

“Are you okay?” Stefan asked.

“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy, perhaps a reaction to something I ate. Stop worrying and let’s go and do something?” Alexander reassured them and tried to laugh it off.

“Well, the weather’s improved, I vote for a barbeque.” Paul pointed out cheerfully.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea” Andrea remarked.

“Let’s just have a walk up to the forest like we used to do. If you remember, the town looks great from up there at this time of the night.” said Adrian.

They all agreed, and after buying a few cans of beer and things to eat they made their way up the street towards the forest. On arriving there, because they were older and braver they went deeper into the woodland like they did when they went there as children. They came upon an open space and sat down on stumps and logs which were
laying around.

‘‘I really missed the times we had when we came up here in the fresh air as kids” Paul remarked thoughtfully as he takes a drink of beer from a can and wipes a line of froth from his mouth. Then he began to look intently at Alexander’s face, and said:

‘‘You are quiet Alexander... And what is it with your eyes, all red and bloodshot?”

‘‘I told you I’ve had a cold, I cough at night and that keeps me awake that
is all. What the hell is wrong with you and all these questions?” Alexander shouted harshly.

Everyone was shocked at Alexander’s sudden change of mood, and they looked at each other sheepishly. An awkward silence followed.

“ Oh, leave him alone” Andrea laughed heartily, trying to ease the sudden tense atmosphere, even though she agreed that Alexander’s appearance and manner have changed a lot – and not for the better.

“You have not changed, Paul, you will always have your friendly fun of us. Now have some peanuts and stop teasing Alexander.” Said Andrea while giving a wink at Alexander and he gave back a thankful smile. While Andrea was telling them about her trip to Italy and how much she had enjoyed it, Alexander suddenly noticed there is a deathly silence all around. The wind dropped, there were no birds singing and nothing seemed to be moving except him and his friends. It was as if nature has stood still. Then out of the corner of his eye he thought he sees something moving among the trees over to his left.

‘‘Are there any bears around here?” Alexander asked in a matter-of-fact way, as he didn't want to cause them any concern.

‘‘Not that I know of, I have heard some horrible old tales about this forest but I don’t think anyone has ever seen any wild animals. Why do you ask?” Stefan replied.

“Nothing!”
Alexander answered, as he became a little suspicious ''...I think I will go for a pee.'' he continued.

As he walked into the area where he thought he saw something move, he was looking around cautiously when
Volod appeared like a phantom from nowhere.

“I want that girl” the vampire growled as disgusting saliva dribbled from the side of his mouth.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her or the others” Alexander shouted.

“Ah, Alexander, jealously is a wonderful feeling to have
“ Volod cried “..I know you want her too, so I will get my enjoyment from watching you devouring her neck when you can no longer hold back your urges and I will have my fill of her when you have finished.”

“They did nothing to you
Volod, why would u even touch them?” Answered Alexander with madness in his voice.

“Of course they did, they were born and exist as humans, the most weak and stupid breed.”

“What do you mean by that, you insane freak? I would kill you in one second.”

Alexander replied as he became enraged.

“You can try, but your friends will bleed in front of your eyes as your parents did. And remember foolish Alexander, soon I will be your lord and master.”

“You caused the death of my parents! “Alexander fumed angrily “What more dreadful things can you possibly do, you evil bastard?”

“Oh, you will learn that I can do much more, believe me. I will quench my thirst on someone tonight even if it is not the girl.” Volod threatened with a terrible look in his eyes.

After finishing his words,
Volod disappeared quickly leaving Alexander in a terrible madness.

“So, what was behind the trees, Alexander? Was it great big bear? Or a little fly?” Paul asked as he raised himself up and made a growling noise to impersonate the animal and he began to pull a silly face and flap his arms like wings.

“It is nothing to worry about!” Alexander responded abruptly “I felt a spot of rain so we had better be heading back.”

Paul put his hands out as if to feel for the rain and shook his head with a questioning smirk on his face, but they all decided it was getting late anyway so they set off home.

On returning to his house Alexander decided it is time to go and find
Ariana so he started to pack a bag with a few things in preparation for the journey he intended to make on the following day. As he was doing so the phone started to ring and it was Andrea sounding upset.

“Is Adrian there with you?” she enquired in a worried voice.

‘‘No. Why?’ Alexander asked.

“Well, after you left us on the way back from the forest he stopped off to go for a pee in the trees “ Andrea began to explain “ But he was such a long time we decided to carry on and let him catch up. He never did, but we thought he would be alright as we were not far from home anyway. But he should have come to my house with Paul and he hasn’t arrived, and I just hoped he had come to yours by mistake or something?”

‘‘He’s not here, but don’t worry, I’m sure he will be okay. He knows the forests and the mountains very well because he grew up here and most of the childhood he spent it hunting birds. “

Alexander tried to reassure Andrea with an amusing voice, but there was something in his mind that made him feel uneasy as he started to make a connection between the fact that Adrian was missing and
Volod’s vow...”I will quench my thirst on someone tonight…”he grabbed his coat and ran out of the door praying his thoughts are wrong.

As he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, up the hill and past the place where the accident happened on the bend near the edge of the forest, he heard the terrible cry of someone in distress from within the trees. He went in the direction from where the voice was coming and on pushing his way through some trees he saw
Volod just beyond a thick bush, where, to his horror, the wicked vampire had his friend Adrian gripped tightly around the neck throttling him.

“Let him go!” Alexander cried out in a desperate effort to stop him before he makes the fateful bite. Adrian looked at Alexander with desperate pleading eyes. As Alexander tried to push through a branch to help his friend, the vampire held out his arm in the direction of the branch and some kind of force he created stopped the branch from moving back and Alexander hit it like it was an iron bar. He was stunned and fell to the ground with a thud.

He could do no more than look on helplessly, as the vampire’s long lethal teeth was biting mercilessly into Adrian’s neck and almost tore his throat out. As Adrian’s blood spilled out profusely all over his neck and clothes his arms went limp at once as his young life left him.

“Come and taste!” the cruel creature roared at Alexander with sickening satisfaction on his eager face.

Alexander got to his feet and his mind became confused as he felt tempted to accept the vampire’s offer. As he walked towards
Volod, the smell of the blood started to become stronger with each step and his desire to taste became hard to resist. But Volod’s taunting was no more than a wicked tease.

“You will get your chance to devour a victim one day, but this one is mine.” Showing no respect for a dead person, he threw the boy harshly over his shoulder and walked off into the shadows of the trees. Alexander tried to go after him, but after only a few steps he realized that the creature had disappeared.

The leaves all around were covered in Adrian’s new blood and Alexander picked some up and held them in his hands looking at them longingly. The smell of the blood threatened to overpower him and there was a troubled look in his eyes worse than anything before.

But then the image of the face of his friend pleading for mercy filled his mind and he threw down the leaves in disgust. But he still has the smell of blood in his nostrils and he ran off into the night as a hunting animal looking for prey.

That night was very strange for Alexander and also very painful, he lost his friend and it was the first time he felt hunger for blood. He went into the city searching for food, and even into the mountains and forests, but he was confused. He was no longer hungry for meat and fruit and the usual food, they no longer satisfied him, and his home was no longer inviting to him.

On going to bed he was restless and couldn't settle. Sleep had become unusual to him and the unusual had become his usual. He felt desperate, so desperate that he left the house in search of
Volod. He felt ashamed that he needed the help of such a monster, but the feelings of the need for blood were too powerful and tormented his brain.

Desperately calling out Volod's name as he searched among the trees in the forest he realized that the evil clan leader would not come to help him or the devious bloodsucker could hear him but refuses to show himself to demonstrate the power he has over Alexander. He gave up and returned home.