The Vampire King's Redemption

FREYA

“Freya, I cannot believe that you are still packing! Do you want us to miss our flight?!” My mum yelled, standing by the doorway to my room. The look on her face could best be described as anger. We were moving down to the North, precisely Sakura for a short vacation, and my mum was the most excited about it.

If it was possible, she would have left us and boarded a flight on her own. We had heard so much about the town and my mum was the curious type. She wanted to see the tales they told about Sakura for herself, the town that lurks with the supernatural.

I knew that my dad was doing this because of her. He would do anything for her and me, and I would do anything for them too.

“Mum, I’m done. I just need to pack a few things and…!”

“Freya, I’m giving you five minutes and nothing more. If after five minutes I do not see you downstairs, you would be very sorry!” My mum warned, pointing at me. She hissed and stomped out of the room.

African mothers were the same everywhere. I didn’t know why she was always too strict with me, maybe because I was the only child. It was in times like this I wished for another sibling. One would think that since I looked just like her, she would cut me some slack.

I put my remaining clothes in my box, not folding them properly. I didn’t bother putting on makeup. Who was going to see me anyway? School had close[Ugomma Uz1]d and my friends had traveled for vacation with their families.

I ran down the stairs with my box hitting the ground, and making a hell of a noise. I hoped that my mum didn’t complain about the noise because at least, I didn’t spend more than the supposed five minutes. My dad was on a call when I got down. He put his hands on my shoulder and led me to his car. Then he assisted in carting my box into the boot of the Mercedes. He opened the door with his right hand and struggled with the phone in his left. My mum would hear nothing of it.

“You shouldn’t make calls while driving, I still love my life. Talk to your boss, I got this.” She said, taking the keys from him.

There were all sorts of rumors that people peddled to give the town a bit of mystery that intrigued tourists. I was determined to uncover the myth about Sakura that those who go there never returned the same.

Sakura was unbelievably cold. Snow fell heavily - in autumn! Immediately we got to the Airport, the wind hit me and I realized that I was in for a treat of my life. We had to check our bags for sweaters and jackets to prevent us from the snow.

Everyone in the airport was staring at us. I didn’t know if it was because it was awkward for an all-black family to spend their vacation in Sakura, or something else I couldn’t figure.

My dad hired a taxi to the lodge. As the driver moved to the house, I came to know why my mum loved it. Sakura was a quiet, beautiful town and the cottage we stayed in was in a secluded place with lots of trees and a small hut in the middle surrounded by a lake. There was a strong sensation in the air.

“Oden[Ugomma Uz2], this place is beautiful!” My mum exclaimed as she came out of the taxi. She looked around with awe and admiration. “Charles, how did you find this place?” She asked my dad. He shrugged. “And it’s so quiet, I love it,” My mum continued.

The place was beautiful but it gave me the chills. There was this feeling of impending doom clawing at my chest.

“I love the lake,” I said quietly.

“Yes, it’s so beautiful. Thank God, I brought my swimming suit.” My mum squealed. It had been ages since I saw her this excited. She was always so engrossed with work and scolding me. Maybe this place will bring us even closer together as a family.

I loved the smell of the antiques in the living room. There was an arm-chair by the right. The room had a Chinese-themed interior décor. Sakura had trees and boulevards. The atmospheric ambiance made me feel that I was indeed going to be in for a lot more than a vacation. I felt like I was in a house that had survived decades, but at least there was a fridge by the end of the parlor and a plasma TV on the wall. The hardwood floor made a lot of sounds as we walked in. For some strange reason, I wanted us to be quiet.

My mum kept going around the sitting room, checking and touching everything. While I watched her unable to dispel the feeling of danger lurking in my blood[Ugomma Uz3], I knew that as I grow older, I would turn out to be as she was. I was climbing the stairs when I saw a shadow. At first, I thought it was my shadow so I stopped in my tracks, but it kept moving. I temporarily lost my ability to speak as my heart raced speedily. After a while of astonishment, the shadow vanished. Instinctively, I screamed.

My parents came rushing down. I was shivering, my hands kept shaking.

“I thought I saw something,” I mumbled. Tears already formed in my eyes.

“Something like?” My dad asked, looking around. He was very worried, but he was trying his best to remain calm as the man of the house.

“A shadow,” I said softly cleaning my eyes. My mum put her hand on my shoulder leading me up to my room. The room was small, and I started to feel warm again.

“You will be fine. It was probably nothing.” My mum rubbed my feet, trying to calm me down. I closed my eyes, reveling in the moment. My mum was so sweet to me as if it was going to be the last.

“Do you love me, mum?” I blurted out, opening my eyes. My mum’s expression moved from hurt to sad.

“Of course, I love you,” She said at once.

“I love you princess and even though I scold you most of the time, it’s because I love you and I want you to be a better person. If I’m asked to choose a daughter again, I’ll still choose you, Asimina.”

She smiled. “I love you too mum,” I whispered in her ears.

“I know princess, I know.”

My dad came in. He put his hand on his waist, giving us a disapproving look as he stood behind her.

“Stop being jealous.” My mum giggled, turning to face him.

My dad hugged her from behind, sitting on the bed close to her. He placed his head on her back. “I love you so much, Bianca.”

My mum blushed, “Darling, I love you too.” She turned to kiss him, and... Is that his tongue in her mouth.

I almost puked.

“Ok…ok I believe this is my room. Please, don’t spoil my innocent mind.” I chuckled, closing my eyes. I heard my mum and dad laugh before they stood up to leave. Both of them gave me perks before leaving.

After they left, I stood up and walked to the window by the end of the wall. I opened it wide, enjoying the natural breeze that came in. I shivered from the cold but loved it. I loved the sight of the bushes from up here and the lake. The moon illuminated them, making it glow beautifully. From up here, anyone who looked down would think the lake was magical. Smiling, I hugged myself, soon returning to my bed.

Finally, sleep took over, but it was not for long.

I woke up in the middle of the night and glanced at the wall clock. It was nearly 3 O’clock. I blinked hard and yawned trying to get back to sleep. I was so tired. It felt as though I was suffering from a sudden paralysis. I tried to remember what the nightmare was about but nothing came to mind. I had no recollection of the dream I just had.

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound coming from my parent’s room down the hallway. It was followed by a scream. My heart skipped in my chest. It was my mum screaming. I jumped out of the bed, my legs quivering as I flung the door open.

Darkness surrounded me as I waded through the hallway. The only sound I could hear was the sound of my heart beating rapidly against my sternum. The wooden floor didn’t feel so warm again. I felt a sudden chill course through my veins. I heard a whisper that sounded as if it was coming from behind me.

A gust of wind hit me and I shuddered from fear and from cold. I was too scared to look back. I didn’t want to face my fears. I didn’t care for myself, all I cared about was my parents’ safety. I knocked hard on my parents’ door which was the last door in the hallway.

“Mum! Dad!” I called out, but there was no answer. Tears began to pour down my face as my hands got weaker and weaker after each knock. Just as I was about to slump, I heard a click and the door opened.

I looked out for a sign of my parents but there was none. My hair stands at the end; my heart beat faster like it was about to explode. I entered the room despite the intense nervousness raking my body. I held my hands together looking around for something I could use as a weapon, darting my eyes to the side of the room where I saw a wooden chair by the window. I took the long wood that pulled out from the edge.

Hearing no sound in the room, I ran to the window. Blood trickled down from the window pane. The moon illuminated the window pane so I could see the unmistakable pigment on the hardwood. I looked up and there he was; a man standing on the top of the roof. His hands were wrapped around my mum’s neck. His canines were exposed and he looked like a combination of a human and a bat. I screamed so loud that my gut wrenched.

He jumped down from the roof and kicked into my parents’ room through the open window. He was still holding my mum on her neck as if she belonged to him. My eyes met with his blood-red orbs. His face was stained with blood, my mother’s blood.

I backed away, filled with every emotion. Fear sadness and rage.

“Mum!” I called out, in a gentle yell.

The man’s red eyes did not leave mine even as he sunk his teeth into my mum’s neck and twisted her neck as she hit the wooden wall.

“Mum!”, I screamed, rushing to her. I knelt beside her and put her head on my legs.

“Baby, I love you.” was all she said before she closed her eyes to death.

Looking up, I saw him watching me with amusement. I stood up, fidgety. My heart pulsated so hard I could hear its rhythm loud and clear in my head. I felt as though I had been locked in a terrible nightmare. I tried to convince myself that nothing was real and it was only a bad dream but the blood on my hands told me otherwise. I charged toward him.

“You killed her!” I yelled.

Just as I was about to stab him with the wood in my hand, he pushed me. It was just one swift movement of his hand but it felt like a wave. I flew to the wall, my head crashing on it. Before I could raise my head, he was already in my face.

“You shouldn’t have done that; you should be scared.” He growled.

He lifted me by my hair but before he could, my hand found something under the bed, a pepper spray.

“So pretty.”

He said as he tried to sink his teeth into my neck. I kicked him hard on the groin but the kick had little effect on him it was just a distraction to the pepper spray on him. He screamed out so loud as his face started to burn, as if I had put him close to the sun, to my utter amazement. I sprinted down the stairs, never letting go of the spray since it was the only weapon I seemed to possess that could save me from the abomination in my lodge.

I looked around for my dad, but I couldn’t find him.

“Stay strong.” I chanted to myself, swallowing the bile that had formed in my throat. I was panicking. My hands were trembling and my heart pounded hard as I entered the forest. After a while, when nothing more happened, I slowed down to a jog. Then I started to walk. Looking at the pepper spray, I examined it.

Suddenly, there was a growl behind me. I turned around to see the creature looking at me with rage. He had long, jet-black hair and I was horrified to see dangerous, blood-red eyes that were more crimson under the glow of the moon. He also wore a black t-shirt and jeans. My eyes opened wide. I tried to run but he held my hands, twisting my wrist. I yelped in pain.

“You shouldn’t have done that!” The creature gnarled, moving closer to me. He looked furious, but his anger suddenly started to dwindle as his eyes met mine. I could see the curiosity on his face even under the cover of the night. He corked his head to the side, studying me. He stroked my hair, softly and moved closer to take in my scent. He wasn’t holding me but I was paralyzed. He tried to kiss me and it was as if all the strength in my body finally found its way back. I shoved him with everything in me

He fell back and I whirled around in the other direction. I ran as fast as I could. I looked back to see where the man was and saw no one. I thought I had lost him but as I turned around, there he stood, three meters ahead. I swiftly turned to the left and sprinted through the bush. I ran for cover in the trees and scoped around. He was gone again, but I was still wary.

Suddenly, an ice-cold hand tapped my shoulder and pulled me into the tree. My face slammed against the trunk of the tree, I felt my nose break and blood oozed out. I fell to the ground and he dragged me up.

“We can do this all night!” He smirked, holding my hands.

“Who are you?”

The man spun me around to face him and pushed me back into the tree. I looked up at him and saw a starving glint in his eye. I couldn’t speak nor reply to him.

“It doesn’t matter anyway; you are going to die soon.” He mocked, coming close to me. I looked into his eyes and there was no emotion in them. Nothing at all. It was like staring into a dead man’s eyes.

“Please let me go!”

I had just lost my mum and I still couldn’t believe it. The vampire looked amused. He bared his teeth, revealing fangs. I gasped as he grabbed my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my neck. He then leaned in and I looked away just as the fangs touched my neck. I felt an agonizing pain in my neck. I tried to scream but he held my mouth. I thought it was all going to end till I felt him move away from me. He started to cough out loud. Saliva, mixed with blood drooled out from his mouth to the ground. I looked at him, astonished.

“Poison,” he gasped, holding his throat.

“You are poison.” He choked out before he fell to the ground. I held my neck as I gaped down at him in fear and confusion, moving closer to him to check if he was dead. His eyes were wide open but they had lost their redness. They were now sunken into his skull. I bent down to see him clearly, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

I was about to check his pulse when I heard a siren wail in the distance and I knew the authorities were there. They came late. My mum was gone and my dad could not be found.

“Step away!” A voice said from behind me. I turned to see who it was and before I could turn back to the vampire, he was nowhere to be found. It dawned on me that maybe he wasn’t the only one who attacked us and that there were more of them lurking around in the dark.

“This is the Police!”

“Keep your hands above your head, where we can see them!”

I spun around, putting my hands on my head, but not before I slipped the pepper spray into my pocket. He came closer to me, and put my hand behind me.

“He killed my mother!” I cried. As he held my hands. His shorter partner covered me with a blanket.

“I can’t find my dad!”

“Who killed your mother?” He asked holding my hands. His partner walked behind us, showing a touch that illuminated our path. I held the blanket tighter around me.

“A vampire.” I muttered. They both looked at me like I was insane, I didn’t blame them though, even now I doubted my sanity.

“Your mother called to say you were attacked by armed robbers.” The taller policeman said as we walked back to the house. They were already carrying my mum’s body out in a body bag. I ran to it as tears dripped down my face. My heart was bleeding.

“Mum!” I screamed, crying. The taller policeman held me back by my shoulders. I fought to get away from his grip, but it was futile.

“I need you to calm down miss,” He said, holding my shoulders. He spun me around to face him.

“How can I calm down? My father is missing! My mother is dead! How can I calm down?” I yelled.

“Shhh.” He sighed, as he hugged me tightly. My vision started to blur.

I had been sitting in the police station for about two hours now, right after the department’s paramedic had succeeded in resuscitating me. I kept telling them that a vampire killed my parents but no one could make sense of my utterances.

“So you are saying a vampire attacked your cabin?” The detective asked me for the umpteenth time.

“Yes, that is exactly what I have been saying!” I yelled, frustrated. The room I was in was a small dilapidated room painted grey.

There was a desk and three chairs in the room. I was sitting on one while the detective sat on another. The tall policeman had been on the other seat but left after a while. I guess he could no longer stand the questions being thrown at me and how everyone looked at me like I was insane.

“Ma’am you’ve to calm down!” The detective advised, standing up. Just then, the taller policeman entered and I felt a little better.

“How do you expect me to calm down?” I screamed, putting my hands on my head. I was confused and going crazy.

“We came for a vacation; now my father is missing and maybe dead and my mother is lying in the morgue!”

“Aren’t you a minor?” He asked, corking an eyebrow.

“No, of course not!” I lied. “I need my parents and I need them now.” I sniffed.

“And, I need the vampire dead.”

“Again with this vampire stuff,”

“Yes, again with it.” I sat down on my seat as tears continued to flow down my eyes.

“We will solve this, just calm down,” they both stood up and left the room.

I woke up to the acrid smell of hospital disinfectant, invading my nostrils. Apart from my heavy breathing and the beep…beep sound you often hear in hospitals that indicates you’re alive, the room was silent.

I slowly opened my eyes, squinting in an attempt to sharpen the blurred images before me. I glanced around and took in the deserted blue and white color schemed hospital bedroom.

How long have I been here?

Shutting my eyes, I tried to recollect the events that led to this moment. Then it hit me with a bang.

My father…

My mother…

A vampire…

The detective.

I stood up and ran to the only window I could see in the small dark room. My only instinct was to vault through it. I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. I needed to find my father. I managed to pull the ledge up and looked out. Immediately I did, all the hope in my veins dissipated like morning dew.

I was in one of those very tall buildings I only got to see in one of my mum’s magazines. I ran to the door and tried to open it but it did not budge. I felt as though I was already dead.

What the hell is going on?

I asked myself, as I held my throbbing head. I slumped on the small bed and rested my head on my thighs as I sobbed softly. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I was stuck in a mysterious dream. The door to my room creaked open and I shot up to see who it was. A nurse walked in with a tray and a doctor came in behind her. They smelt like bleach and disinfectant.

“Who are you and what am I doing here?” I asked the nurse as my legs found the strength to support me up. My eyes fixed on the now unbolted door. There was a chance to escape and I had to take it.

“You were brought in here by the police because of your violent behavior. They say you may have lost your mind as a result of the trauma you are currently experiencing,” The doctor explained, sitting down on the bed close to me.

I looked back, staring at him with my mouth slightly agape. “But I am not insane!” I cried out.

“I know that’s why I am here. I need you to tell me what exactly happened.” He said softly. His eyes were so warm. There was a hint of understanding in them so I felt that I could trust him. He gave me a tight-lipped smile that made his thin lips look even thinner. His blonde hair was neatly gelled back to perfection. I exhaled and looked away from him while I played with my fingers as I suddenly started to feel nervous.

“Can you tell me what happened?” He asked, taking my shaky hands in his. I didn’t reply. Although I felt I could trust him, I did not know if I could trust the nurse. She looked at me like I was crazed so nothing I said would have made any difference. The doctor soon figured out the reason for my hesitation and gestured for the nurse to leave.

She looked at me with disgust on her face before she walked out. I was sure that I could easily overpower her should she be the only one standing in the way of my escape.

“Can you tell me what happened?” The doctor asked again. He was the first person show to me trust since my predicament and I could not be happier. I slumped on the bed and put my head on my knee. I started to cry all over again.

This was a nightmare

“Hey, you can talk to me.” The doctor urged. I looked up through teary eyes. I gave him a questioning glare and he nodded.

“My mother was killed by a vampire.” I bit my lips to stop myself from sobbing more.

“I saw him bite her, he bit me too but I don’t know how the injury healed. You have to believe me, I’m not crazy.” I pleaded, looking into his eyes.

“They can check my mother’s body; they would see the bite marks. I felt our cabin was haunted since I came here as I had seen strange shadows. You have to believe me. A vampire killed my mother and took my father!” I cried out.

“I believe you. But you have to calm down and explain everything that happened to me.”

“I don’t remember much, but when he bit me he said something like poison and then he slumped to the ground, but before the police could see him he was nowhere to be found.”

“He said poison? That you are poison?” The doctor clarified, gaping at me with a shocked expression on his face.

It was as if he was trying to comprehend what I was saying but could not. He nodded again and stood up,

“You have to believe me?” I pleaded, standing up.

“Get some rest.” He said over his shoulders holding on to the door handle. I nodded and he smiled before shutting the door behind me, leaving me alone once again in this room that tormented me and made me insane.

I stayed silent for a while trying to process what I was feeling, but the more I tried to understand, the more obfuscated I became.

“What the hell is going on!!!” I suddenly screamed.

I sat down and buried my hands in between my thighs, deciding that it was best to keep quiet and not to give any impression that I was crazy.

I needed to remain calm and plan. My mind kept going round and round in circles. I tried to keep my tears at bay, but I could not. They kept falling down my cheeks without control.

Suddenly, a red laser beam slipped into the room from the huge hospital window. The beam was so bright, that the hospital window started melting. I ran to the back of the bed and hid behind it. I was going insane. Nothing was making sense to me anymore. I could feel power course through my veins, down to every part of my body. A cold hand touched me suddenly and I screamed but no one heard me.

I saw myself in a desert without any sign of human existence and life. My wrist was bleeding and my eyes hurt as if were seared by a hot iron.

“I know you are confused but you will understand soon. You are the chosen one!” A soft voice said from behind me. The voice sounded like a whisper in the wind. There was no one in sight, even as I looked around in fear for my life.

“Where are you?” I whispered, asking no one in particular. My voice was soft and hoarse. I fell to my knees on the sandy ground as I prayed for my mother to come to take me where she was. I wanted nothing more than to die. My eyes hurt and my heart was pounding profusely in my chest. A soft hand touched my chin and lifted it. My eyes met with white eyes, as white as light.

It belonged to a woman with skin like the desert, golden and windy. She was clad in a black dress. She wore a black scarf that covered her body entirely. Only her eyes and her right finger which held on to my chin with care and love were visible.

“I have seen what the vampires did to you and your family Asimina, and I have been sent to help you. But first, you must promise me that you would exert revenge on all of them.” The voice whispered.

Her voice was soft, yet compelling like the voice of a woman singing lullabies to a dead child.

“I want nothing more than for them to pay. I want them to cease to exist.” I said through a clogged throat. My eyes scorched from staring at her.

“I want to annihilate all of them but I have no power of mine.”

The woman smiled. She caressed my hair lovingly as she fixed some strands with her fingers.

“You have all the power, and I will give you more. You are the promised child from the forgotten descent. You are The Enchanteur, A direct descendant of The Great Witch. With my help, you will liberate this world of Aurelio and his minions.”

I sobbed on her shoulders, holding on to her even though I understood nothing of what she said. She believed me when no one else did, so I made a promise to her, and an oath to myself and my parents to rid the world of vampires.