Part 1: Visitation

 

“Nathaniel Michael Storm! Get your ass back in this house right now!” A middle aged woman yelled at the tree. “Its cold outside and its going to rain soon!”

“Coming mother.” An exasperated voice called from the branches of the tree. A young teenager dropped down from the branches and landed on the ground. Short black hair framed a pretty rather then handsome face. Long eyelashes decorated large emerald green eyes filled with good humor.

Dressed in ratty old black clothes, he presented a striking figure. Then Nate ran inside the house.

“I have two more hours before it would rain. And I had a jacket.” Nate protested to his mom.

“I don’t care. Go pick up your brother from church, dinner will be ready when you get back.” Constantine was too busy with cooking to notice her eldest child sneak out the door. She looked at the empty kitchen and sighed. Nate was too quiet, too strange. It was like life was a game to him, a game which he knew how to play and win. Sure, he was an exceptional student, barely a senior in high school at age fifteen, yet he seemed so much older. Once she caught him staring at a candle flame, it was like he took comfort in the light. He looked ageless, wise. Nate had that effect on everyone.

 “Oh shit!” she noticed the soup burning. She turned her attention from woolgathering and paid attention to her cooking. She never saw the intruder enter the house and come up behind her. When he sank his teeth into her neck, she died without knowing what happened to her.

The vampire let the corpse drop to the floor and he sniffed in annoyance. The child was not here. He had been searching for years when he learned that his object of affection had returned. Perhaps it was not too late to find the child and to Change him before he regained his memories and before the others arrived. If the child regained his memories, then there would be dire consequences. This time there would be no stopping His wrath. And the others were also on the trail

Damn you Mael, you just had to tell Maharet about his Return. Now I’ll have to take him now instead of when he’s older. The vampire left the house, leaving a cooling corpse and a pot of burning soup behind.

Nate ran down the street towards Our Lady of Mercy with a lightness in his heart. Jean-Paul spent most of his days at church, learning to be an altar server and about the holy life. He privately thought that Jean-Paul wanted to join the priesthood but the kid was only eight. Jean-Paul didn’t even know about girls.

A rumbling of thunder caused Nate to skid to a stop and to stare at the darkening sky. He sniffed the air, and smelled the heavy moisture. Maybe a couple minutes before it started to pour, he estimated. He continued on his run, but increased his speed. It took him about five more minutes before he got to the old church. As always the ancient-looking church overwhelmed him.

It was based off of a late Gothic design, with elaborate arches and elegant carvings. Yet the wearing of time was evident in the peeling paint, the broken stained glass, and the ruined bell tower. Kids from all over the neighborhood, at one time or another, sneaked up the creaking stairs to the haunted bell tower and rang the bell. The chance of discovery was not high because the only person who cared was the old pastor. But the pastor was ailing and now the bell rang almost daily.

Nate jumped up the stairs and darted into the church. He reflexively blessed himself with the holy water before entering the main hall. He walked slowly down the aisle, carefully scanning the church for his brother or for one of the priests. Then he felt a presence behind him, Nate quickly turned around. A man stood there, staring at him.

Ebony eyes stared at him, black hair framed a handsome face yet Nate instinctively knew that he wasn’t human. The skin was deathly pale, like a corpse. And the perfection of face was altogether inhuman. The man spoke with an echoing voice, “Well, its been a while, hasn’t it? You changed quite a bit.”

Nate frowned, “I’m sorry but we’ve never met before. I think that you are mistaken…” A little voice in his mind was yelling at him to get out of there. But the eyes held him captive.

Then the man laughed, revealing a pair of elongated fangs. “Ha, you have no idea who or what you are, do you? Maybe I’m not too late after all.”

The words hit Nate like a cold wind. It broke the trance over him and Nate quickly glanced around for an opening. “Who and what the hell are you?”

“Someone who has searched for you ever since I learned that you came back.”

Nate slowly retreated, “Why?”

“To bring you across, then to take what should have been mine.” The man advanced on the teenager.

Nate narrowed his eyes and backed up. What ever that was it didn’t sound good. And the menacing aura around the man wasn’t very reassuring. He ran to the front of the tabernacle to get to the sacristy, but found the stranger in front of him. Nate’s first thought was that the guy wasn’t human. Then his mind put the facts together: pale skin, fangs, super speed, definitely a vampire.

“Oh shit.” He whispered. His mind ran wild, obviously holy objects didn’t work or the vampire wouldn’t be in a church and there wasn’t a stake around. He looked around, seeking an escape or a weapon.

The vampire seemed to read his mind and smiled, “Don’t try to run away from me. Once I’m finished, you’ll thank me, in many ways. Don’t fight, it will make things worse on you.”

Nate was hit with a flash of inspiration, then smiled deviously at the vampire. “Fuck you.” Then he focused a mental blast upward. The bell began to clang loudly, so loudly that Nate had to cover his ears with his hands. The vampire collapsed on the floor, holding his ears and doubling over in pain. Nate took the opportunity to run out of the church.

He ran out of the church and nearly slipped on the wet steps. It started raining when he was in the church. Nate looked around, then saw a small figure sitting on the curb. He stumbled over to the child, “Jean-Paul?”

Jean-Paul smiled brightly at his older brother. “Natie, where’s momma?”

Nate grabbed his brother and hoisted him into his arms. “Come on, we’ll be late. Mom will fix everything.” I hope, he mentally added. Nate ran down the street towards his house, not looking back to see a group of dark figures standing on the church steps watching them leave.

One of the figures stepped out of the shadows and the sprinkle gently hit her red hair. “Was that him?”

“You know it was.” Another woman replied. “We should wait a bit. Something is amiss.” The other figure nodded but the last figure shook his blond mane in exasperation and in annoyance.

Nate and Jean-Paul stumbled up the walk to the house in exhaustion. They were sore and soaking wet. Jean-Paul had no idea what was going on, but since his big brother was worried, something really bad had happened. Nate pushed his brother into the house and followed him. Then he locked the door behind him. Nate ran into the kitchen, followed by his little brother. “Mom!” he yelled.

“She’s over there.” An oily voice told him, without looking Nate knew that it belonged to the dark vampire. Nate looked in the corner, then covered his brother’s eyes. It was their mother, dead and lifeless. Two puncture wounds were obvious on her neck and the look of surprise on her face told everything.

“Why?” Nate asked emotionlessly. He reached behind him towards the knife rack. “Why did you kill her?”

The vampire shrugged. “I was hungry. Besides, I don’t need her or that brat you are protecting.” Pointing a finger at the child who didn’t understand what was going on. Nate pushed Jean-Paul behind him, and they backed up together. “I could use another snack.” With those words, he struck like a serpent.

 

End of Part 1