1 The Cursed Vampire

Why do you run?

‘Because you’re trying to get me!’

Why are you scared?

‘Because you want to take my soul.’

Why do you resist?

‘Because I don’t want to be your vessel.’

Why do you think you have a choice?

‘Because...because...I’m still me.’

The voice that had been insistently badgering the young girl falls silent, and Nadia thinks for a moment that the evil deity has heard her pleas and has left her. However, this was a foolish notion, as the voice speaks once more, not with a genuine tone, but directly into the girl’s mind, as though the thoughts were her own.

You will never be free of me.

At last, the presence seemed to have gone, though how long of a reprieve Nadia would get was anyone’s guess. For years now, words she hasn’t consciously thought have invaded her mind, yet they feel as true as any other thought she may have had on a normal occasion. Her inner voice. Her inner nightmare.

She opens her eyes, sitting up casually as though she’d just woken from a strange dream. If only that were the case. Looking around to find unfamiliar surroundings, it’s clear that she’s not in her room filled with the sweet scent of lavender. She’s not twisted up in her silk sheets on her bed. Katia isn’t beside her with a warm cloth to wash away the sleep from her eyes and serve her a meal. No one is beside her. She is alone with her thoughts and her voices.

“Maybe this was a bad idea.” She speaks out loud for the first time, her own voice feeling like a comfort. She gets to her feet and takes in her surroundings. She stands in the middle of a street, yet she’s in no danger of being hit by a passing car. There are no vehicles or pedestrians at all, making it seem like she’s in a ghost town. However, that’s not the case. Usually, this street would bustle with traffic and people would go to and from as they pleased. Considering that there is nothing and no one, that can only mean one thing. Dawn is approaching.

“No, I can’t run away now. I’m doing this. I’ve decided this on my own. All on my own.” She emphasizes the fact that she exorcised her free will to bring herself to this point. Not to justify her actions to anyone else, but to strengthen her resolve on what brought her here and to the path she’s chosen to take. “I wonder if it’ll hurt badly?”

Her fear and anxiety grow as the seconds pass, and she stares towards the horizon. The dark sky has already brightened as the sun peeks up ever so slightly. Oddly enough, it’s always been Nadia’s dream to see a sunrise. She’s watched so many movies of lovers cuddling under the stars all night and waking to the sun rising to bring another day. Today at least one half of that dream will come true. “Maybe in the next life I’ll get to see this in a better place, with someone I love.”

She smiles, wanting her last moments to be filled with joy and hope for better days to come. The sun is nearly visible now, its bright rays breaking through the clouds. Nadia can feel the warmth on her skin as the sky illuminates brightly, and the day has finally come. She opens her arms wide, welcoming her fate. In this moment she’s sure, this is her choice and she’s content with it.

Thirty seconds.

One minute.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

It’s been thirty minutes since daybreak, yet Nadia doesn’t feel the scorch of the sun’s rays. She doesn’t feel the burning on her skin or smell her deteriorating flesh. Nothing she can see is visibly on fire, and she’s not falling to her knees in excruciating pain.

“What is this? What’s going on? This isn’t what I expected to happen!” She runs forward towards the sun, practically pleading for it to do its job properly. “I’m here! I’m standing right here in your light. Take me now! Please! Let me end this now before I can’t anymore!” She falls to her knees after a moment, realizing that her salvation won’t be coming to her after all.

“Why? Why is this happening? This isn’t what Katia described. Time and time again she told me our fate should we ever dare to step out into sunlight, yet here I am basking in it and still alive. It makes no sense. Why?!” she shouts out in frustration as her last solution goes up in smoke without her. “I’m a vampire, aren’t I?” Tears finally break free and fall from her eyes. “I’m a blood-sucking, night-walking vampire, so why...?”

I will never let you go.

Her answer comes from the last place she wanted to hear it from, but it comes as no surprise either. “Yeah, silly me. How could I forget? I’m not a normal vampire. I’m not a normal girl. I’m not a normal anything. My life is no longer my own and my future will only bring darkness.”

She gets to her feet again, numb from her own despair. She walks further down the road, her head hanging down, her spirit broken. Once again death has eluded her, and she’s officially out of options. Her twelve-year battle continues with no end in sight, and now she can do nothing but wait for the evil to claim her.

‘What are you waiting for? Why not take me now? I’m ready.’

No, not yet.

‘Why not!? I won’t fight anymore, and I won’t run from my fate. I have nothing left, so let’s not waste time.’

You still have something left to lose. When you do, then you’ll be ready, and I’ll come for you.

‘I have nothing! I have no friends, no family that can understand me and no future. What more is there to lose?’

“Um, excuse me?”

"Excuse you? Are you talking with a proper voice now? It doesn’t suit you at all!”

“Huh?”

Nadia freezes, realizing that the voice she just heard wasn’t in her head at all. She turns slowly towards it and stares at a girl who could be around her age. Suddenly, Nadia’s mind goes blank.

Their eyes meet.

Their destiny begins.

This is their story.

The Vampire, and The Priestess.