Vampire in the Woods

Fuck my life. It felt like everything had come crashing down. That stupid project, my boss, my coworkers. That one meeting that decided everything. I thought I was strong, but I ran, packed my bags and left.

I was standing in front of the cottage of my late aunt. A little house we still kept in our family as we didn’t want to part from it. It held a lot of memories. Some of my best holidays were spent here when I was younger, like when my sister and I still played together.

It was dusty now, the furniture was old and it smelled dull. Looking around inside the cottage I almost started crying. Too many emotions came at me at the same time. But somehow mainly the thought that the cottage wasn’t the same as in my memories hurt me the most. I needed this to be my refuge, but even this was different. Changed. Something unknown that I held no control over.

I dropped my bags in the living room and a bit of dust flew up as I did so. Trying to accept my circumstances, I ignored my emotions and got ready to start cleaning. It was a lot. The floor was almost a different color when I was done with it. There was light shining through the windows again, the bed smelled nice after doing the laundry. A calm settled in me as at least some of the feel of this place returned to me. A little control again. I felt exhausted after the whole rollercoaster and I sat on the bed ready to fall asleep.

Yet, my thoughts were in such turmoil that I didn’t sleep a wink. The faces of my coworkers appeared before me, the words my boss spoke to me, the anxiety and feelings of inadequacy filling my stomach. I tossed and I turned and then I gave up. I looked straight at the ceiling and decided to go for a walk. I left the bed and grabbed a warm vest to put on over my pajamas. It’s not like anyone else was out here in the woods to criticize my outfit, so it would do just fine. I completed my fit with some warm socks and I checked my phone battery. Enough to use the lamp to shine some extra light if needed.

It’s not like I was a fan of the woods at night, even though we played around here as kids. My sister always told me to watch out for vampires, but in the time we spent here we never saw one. They were more likely to roam around in the city, places with a lot of people. Even though there were many rules in place to coexist with them, the different groups mostly kept to themselves. I’ve met a few in my life, but I always felt like they were dangerous. Like the rules to keep us safe, were just for show. So I never went looking for them and never desired to do so otherwise. Yet I hesitated before I went out the door.

I’d like to think that after twenty seven years of living, I wouldn’t let stupid stories from my childhood scare me, but I was never such a brave person when it came to nighttime. I hated the dark and especially out here in the woods where every sound made me think it was something that wanted to kill me. I didn’t know if I was just stubborn or dumb to still go out anyway.

My hand was clammy as I shone my phone’s light in a direction I decided to go towards. I knew the area well around the house even though many years had passed. The trees still stood at the same place as I knew it, even though there were some new trees as well. There was a nice open space up on the hill west of the cottage and I felt like that would be a good place to unwind.

The cracks of small twigs under my foot was the only sound for a little while. The top of the hill overlooked more of the forest that stretched for a couple of miles. Having the stars shining brightly, it wasn’t as dark here as when I ventured between the thick of the trees. I turned off my light and just sat there, gazing at the night sky. My eyes adjusted and I could see beyond a patch of land. On the hill there were a few trees, scattered across. One tree caught my eye, I thought I saw something move and my heart started pounding. An animal?

I froze, as my instinct took over. Staring for what felt like a full minute, I couldn’t relax, even though I saw nothing. Should I turn on my light again? It could scare an animal away, I convinced myself. I hesitated before grabbing my phone and I turned on the light, shining it in the direction of the tree. Nothing moved, no sounds. I almost believed I had seen nothing.

I let out my breath and forced myself to get up. I moved towards the tree and a few steps in, a strange reflection shone back in my eye. Looking closer, I saw a kind of silvery looking wire strung across the tree as if it was meant to tie something to it. My heart sank. Silver was often used to hold vampires as they were weak to it. Stinging their skin, lowering their strength. A vampire can’t escape from a silver hold. I realised I stopped moving as thoughts were racing in my head. Was this silver holding a vampire? Or worse, was it no longer held by the silver but free from its chains and hunting in the woods?

“Hmm” A low voice, almost inaudible, came from behind the tree. I gasped. I wanted to run, but instead I kept standing there. It sounded hurt, like it had no strength left, like a wounded animal. Someone bound it there, at the top of this hill and when it would become day in a couple of hours, would it burn in the sun? Was it left here to die? My thoughts were cut off as I heard another sound.

“Who…” the voice trailed off. I didn’t answer, but I was curious. Curious enough to not run. I had never seen a vampire up close, only in the distance, in magazines and there was that one time one walked past me and it sniffed me. I looked at the silver wire again and at the tree. I could move a little closer. If it had wanted to bite me, this would have been too elaborate for a trap. I carefully closed in on the tree and saw a figure on the ground, the wire stretched across his midriff and a seperate wire was holding his hands tied. His long white strands of hair fell before his face as his head was held down. He was dressed entirely in black, wearing a long sweater, black pants and heavy boots. He looked human, yet he didn’t. I wondered if I should speak.

“Um..” I started, but had no idea what I would say to him. I shouldn’t be here. His hand twitched and I saw a scar in the middle of his hand as if someone had stabbed him right there. “I’m Sofia.” He seemed unmoving.

“Sofia.” His voice was almost a whisper. It tugged at my heart. He was left here to die, it was as if he was already dying. I didn’t know much about vampires, but I didn’t have it in me to leave him here. I looked at his hands, how they were tied in front of him. If I could untie the silver that was tied around the tree, I would be able to move him. Would I be safe with just his hands tied? I could keep the wire from the tree with me and then if he got too dangerous, use it to tie him up again. He looked weak now, but what if it was a ploy? I traced my eyes around his figure again, but I couldn’t help but see him as a weak and wounded animal. Maybe I was wrong, maybe I was making a mistake, but we’ve lived with vampires for a few decades now. I knew they were not all bad. Some lived with us humans, even having human companions, being bound by law and wouldn’t kill more often than we would.

“I’m going to untie this rope that is around you and then I’ll do my best to keep you somewhere away from the sun. I’m going to keep the tie around your hands.” I tried to sound calm and in control, like I knew what I was doing. I only heard a faint grunt that I took as an understanding.

I started untying the rope, though my hands were trembling. It was not as difficult as I thought and within a short time the rope was loose. He fell to the ground with a thud as I collected the rope to carry it with me. I stared at him and realised that I hadn’t thought this through at all. I figured he could move himself somewhat. I didn’t know if I could carry him. He was quite big, even though he looked slim. I was not one to workout much so I had chicken strength for arms.

I crouched and assessed the situation. I stretched out my hand and poked him on his back. There was no movement or sound from him. Seemingly unable to move himself I gathered my resolved and pulled up his arm. Another groan escaped his lips, making my heart beat faster. I tried to position myself differently so I could lever his body upwards, but I was just struggling and starting to sweat.

He was not very light. One more attempt and panic started to kick in. It was not day yet, but there was no way I could drag him somewhere safe before he burned alive. After a bit, he was moved only somewhat from the place we started and I was sweating and I didn’t know what to do. I was sitting down with my arms around his shoulders, loosening my grip a bit as I was straining.

It was then that I realised his arms were around me and his face was hiding in my neck. I stupidly put us in this position and now I could feel his fangs touching my skin. I held still even though I knew I should push him away, stupid instinct. Yet he didn’t bite. Maybe he didn’t even have the strength to do that. Maybe he kept himself from biting, I didn’t know. But I needed to not have his fangs touch my neck. I grabbed his arms and pushed them upwards over my head and moved them sideways. He was not doing anything to counter it and he slumped back on the ground. I breathed again.

This wouldn’t do though. I would either figure out a way to get him to safety or I would leave him here. Maybe blood was the only option. I knew it gave vampires their strength, keeping them alive. I could give him some, only a bit, enough that he could move with me to the cottage. Seeing him lying there, his hair partly out of his face, he looked young and I stared a bit too long.

I averted my gaze and focused on the ground. I looked around for something sharp, maybe a twig or a pointy stone. My hands felt something that I grabbed and held out to see. A small broken branch with one sharp edge. I tried to poke my finger but I was not pressing hard enough to draw blood. I was not a fan of pain and I had trouble finding the resilience to do this. With some frustration I quickly cut the branch across my finger and this time I managed to draw blood. It stung. I reached for him and held my bleeding finger above his mouth, with enough distance that I could retreat if I was making a mistake.

A single drop fell on his upper lip and I could hear the pounding of my heart in my chest. He didn’t move. He should move though? Why wasn’t he drinking? Licking his lips so he could have what he needed? I inched closer, looking at his pale face. I lowered my finger and carefully placed it on his lips. He still didn’t move even though his lips slowly started coloring red.

With frustration, I pushed my finger inside. Almost wondering if I was wrong all along. For a moment, nothing happened again, but then I fell his tongue move around my finger. His lips pressed closer and he started sucking. A strange sensation came over me, which made me shudder. There was some pain mixed with pleasure. Like a high induced by a drug. The way his tongue curled around my finger, his lips caressing it and how I fell his fangs scraping my skin. I was panting, my heartbeat heavy in my chest.

His eyes opened slowly and cold light blue eyes stared into mine. He grabbed my wrist and with a strength I didn’t know he had, held me down. I couldn’t move, I didn’t want to move. No, I realised, I did want to move. Closer, more intimate, pressing myself against him. His eyes suddenly opened wide and he pushed me off. I fell backwards and I looked back in shock. What was I about to do? Is this what it meant to get your blood sucked? I’ve heard that you don’t feel the pain as their tongue has a numbing effect, but to get aroused like this, was that also part of it? He wiped his mouth with his tied hands and sat up. Staring at me. He looked angry.