He decided to try using his newfound command ability to see if he could erase the couple’s memory.
“You will return to your activities from before you saw me. You will forget that you saw me.” He told each of them. After that, he left them and returned to the cave.
He needed a long-term bolthole away from the sun. He began building up a screen that shielded the cave from the sun. The screen also ensured that finding the cave was nearly impossible unless you knew it was there.
It was nearing sunup by the time he had everything arranged to his satisfaction. He crawled inside the cave, feeling much better about his situation. As he lay inside the cave, he decided he needed to make himself a number of boltholes.
Just having one resting place was a recipe for disaster in the long term. With his speed, he could cover a lot of ground so that they would not be within the same territory. If he ever needed to run, he wanted to have options available. He thought that over time he should have at least eight to ten boltholes.
Chapter 4: New Discoveries
He woke at sundown the next day. It appeared to be a characteristic of his new life to sleep from dawn to dusk. He decided to start immediately on his plan to locate and fortify a second bolthole. If he worked at it, he could probably find and prepare one or two a week, perhaps more if he kept at it.
The next two weeks passed quickly. He found that as long as he fed the hunger periodically, he could keep the savage at bay. He had to have more blood every two days or the hunger became unbearable.
He learned how to take blood without killing. As long as he used his fangs to draw the blood, he did not have a repeat of the bloody massacre he had experienced the first time with the doe.
He was careful to monitor the heartbeat and vitality of his donors. He forced himself to stop when the blood loss began to appear dangerous to his supplier. Additionally, he found that the fang wounds healed very rapidly afterwards leaving little trace of his attack.
He would visit the Daniels farm every three or four days and sample their heady vitality. Sometimes he would take Derry in the field. Sometimes he would take Edna in the cabin, or in the garden behind their cabin. In either case, he would command them to forget his visit. He continued to be attracted to Edna.
He wished he could become friends and visit them outside the blood taking, but the risk was too high. They might recognize him as he had recognized them, or mention him in town to someone who would recognize him.
He could give them instructions to cover those cases, but he was omnipotent. Some unforeseen circumstance could lead to his exposure. He preferred to erase their memory after each encounter as if it never happened.
In the meantime, Christopher discovered that his newfound ability to command people also worked on other creatures. He found other animals to supplement his blood supply: a den of foxes, a raccoon, a bear, several wolves, and several deer.
The Daniels also had a horse and a cow that he could “snack” on in case of need.
Today the blood hunger was strong and growing steadily. It had been two days while since he last “sucked” sufficient blood to slake his thirst. He passed by several smaller creatures, hunting for a larger animal. After a time, he became aware of a cougar and her young in their den. He changed direction to intercept them. The cougar was big enough to provide a decent meal. He did not want to kill any creature for its blood if he could help it.
He was not loath to kill for food, and had done so many times. Now, since he lived on blood, he did not have to kill to “eat.” He could take blood from the same animal many times as long as he did not “drink” too much at one time.
In moments, he arrived at the cougars den.
“Do not move,” He commanded it, approaching it from almost directly ahead. The cougar sat staring at him as he approached. He could imagine it wondering why it could not attack the foolish human.
He was within twenty paces of it when it suddenly let out a yowl and charged right at him.
“Stop!” He commanded with all the force he could muster, but it did not stop.
Without his inhuman speed, he would have been cat food. Even with his speed, it managed to clip him on the shoulder as he leaped away.
A chase ensued with him running and the cat chasing. He found a deep stream and dived into it. The big cat avoided the water but paced the bank for over an hour. Repeated attempts to command the cat to leave were useless. Other animals nearby, still followed his command. Interesting, he thought. Now that he knew there were creatures immune to his commands, he would have to be far more careful.
He was careful what he tried to master after that. Several times, he accosted a traveler through the woods or a hunter and drank of their blood. He met no one he knew. Each time he erased his victim’s memory.
He discovered that his power to control multiple people was limited. He attempted to stop ten mounted riders and could only control seven or eight at a time. He also found out that horses were scared of him if they were not under his command. Apparently, his scent drove them wild. That is what saved him.
Another week passed. Then, as he was returning to his primary hideout, he found a doe with its throat torn out. It was disturbing because the carcass was torn to pieces but uneaten. That was unlike most animals that killed for food. It was eerily like the night he found his heifer similarly slain. He scanned the ground around the site but could detect no trace of the predator. He felt uneasy because it was well within traveling distance of his main hideout.
He determined to keep a sharp lookout over the next few days but saw no other carcasses. He was concerned, but could think of nothing to do except patrol the area and wait. Another few days passed and he started to relax. Tomorrow, he planned to visit the Daniels farm. He looked forward to visiting them and welcomed the company.
He was especially fond of Edna. His desire for her was growing with each visit. Though tempted, he would not use his capability to command her to submit. He would suck her blood, because that was a survival thing. He would not force himself upon her as a man. That violated his beliefs in the sanctity of marriage. He watched in wonder as his senses revealed the growth of the life within her.
Chapter 5: Old Friends
At sundown, Christopher awoke and climbed out of his lair warily, senses at full alert. Ever since he found the deer carcass, he started rotating his daytime sleeping place, never staying more than a few days at one location. He had also prepared four more “hideaways” at divergent locations. If he were like it now, the creature would also be constrained to darkness. However, that would not prevent the creature brainwashing a human puppet with instructions to drag Christopher out into the sunlight.
He planned to visit the Daniels today. He tidied up his “lair” as he began to think of it, since he was living in a burrow like a fox or some other creature. That done, he headed off towards the Daniels farm. It was nearly a day’s ride by horse, but he could cover the distance in an hour with his speed.
As he neared the Daniels farm, he heard a woman scream. It was a scream of mortal terror. He increased his pace to the maximum and ran with inhuman speed toward the sounds of cursing and growling.
When he reached the clearing that held the Daniels farm, he skidded to a halt in surprise. At first, he had trouble comprehending what he saw. Then he realized what was happening and felt an icy chill of horror.
A creature crouched above the body of the Daniels horse, lapping blood from its throat. The horse was bleeding out, its heartbeat slowing rapidly.
Derry lay sprawled nearby, his heartbeat slow and steady. Edna also lay nearby. She was alive, the second life within her still detectable.
The creature had a strange aura. He could sense blood and vitality, within it, but the blood felt spoiled, its vitality felt tainted. It ‘felt’ dirty and unclean, unlike the rich vibrant healthy feeling he sensed from the Daniels.
He found himself suddenly filled with an anger bordering on insane rage. How DARE this creature
invade his territory and touch HIS humans! He heard a low menacing growl and realized it was coming from himself.
At his growl, the creature turned to look at him. Those eyes! It was THE creature. The terrible man-beast that made him into the thing he was. He snarled, fangs extending. Without thinking, he raced forward to grapple with it, snatching a tree branch from the forest floor as he passed it.
The creature leaped toward him, snarling and growling.
They collided in midair. Landing on their feet, they grappled with one another, flailing and biting. Both were doing damage, but they seemed equally matched. He attempted to hit it with the tree branch but it threw up an arm at the last moment. The branch splintered, leaving him holding a short sharp stub. He jammed the stub into its ribs. The creature howled and backed away. The stub protruded from its torso, below the ribcage.
Edna chose that moment to wake and scream. It distracted Christopher for a brief instant, but that distraction was enough to allow the creature an opening. Blindingly fast, it seized him by one arm and threw him across the clearing. He hit a tree with a sickening thud that should have killed him, and would have if he had still been human.
Astonished to be alive, he stood up and growled. He was seriously hurt but still able to move and fight. Before he could leap forward again, the creature turned to a dark mist and floated upwards, disappearing. The last to vanish were those horrible red glowing eyes.
Dumbfounded, he stood alone in the clearing. He had no idea how the creature performed that disappearing trick. Was that something he could do also? If so, he did not know how. After a few moments, he decided the creature was through fighting. It had turned tail and run.
The rage receded and he found his hunger was an aching need, gnawing at him. It was not as bad as the first night he awakened, but it ranked high on his short list.
He limped over to check on his two humans. Funny, he now thought of them as human and himself as something other. He still had a deep-seated fear that he would turn into a ravening beast like the other creature. Although he feared the worst, he was determined to fight it with every fiber of his being.
Derry was unconscious with his rifle nearby. He had a bruise on his cheek. Apparently, the creature hit him and knocked him out when Derry tried to shoot it. Derry was very lucky it was nothing more serious. With a child on the way, Edna would need Derry for care and support.
When Christopher checked Edna, he found her unharmed. She appeared to have fainted. She awakened to witness the fight with the creature and screamed.
Christopher picked Edna up and carried her into the cabin. He did not want her to wake to the sight of their mutilated horse or see her husband’s body and think him dead. Finding the Daniels bedroom, he laid Edna down upon her bed. He covered her with a blanket and went back out to retrieve her husband.
He did not think the creature would return immediately, if at all, but it was better to take precautions and be safe.
He laid Derry beside her on the bed and covered them both up. It would be hours before Derry awakened after the blow the creature had given them.
His was building a fire in the fireplace, his back turned, when he became aware of Edna’s quickened heartbeat. She had awakened and was standing in the door of the bedroom watching him.
“What was that thing?” Edna asked.
“I’m not sure,” Christopher said. “I think it was some sort of rabid beast.”
“You’re the man who fought it off somehow.”
Christopher said nothing.
“Sunshine is dead, isn’t he?” She asked, stifling a sob. “That thing killed him. He lost too much blood to live.”
“Yes.” Christopher sighed. “I’m sorry. Your horse is dead.”
“Derry brought him out when he came here in 1817.” She sobbed quietly. “He was like one of the family.”
“It can be very devastating to lose an animal like that.” Christopher said.
“I don’t know what we’ll do without Sunshine.” Edna said, still crying softly. “He was our plow-horse. We can’t afford to replace him right now.”
Christopher said nothing. He continued to build the fire. It would be a chilly night.
“Will it come back?” She asked.
“Probably," He replied. “It was wounded but it will recover. It heals fast.”
“You were the one who saved us, or tried to.” She said.
“Yes. I got there too late for Sunshine, but I did save you two.” Christopher replied wearily. He turned to face her.
“You are the man I’ve been seeing in my dreams,” She gasped. “You’re the man who holds me and kisses my neck.”
“You’ve been having dreams?” Christopher asked, surprised. He looked at her more closely.
“It wasn’t a dream was it?” She asked, seeing his expression.
“No.” He sighed. “It was real.”
“What do you do to me?” She asked, “When you kiss my neck. It isn’t regular lovemaking.”
“No, I take some of your blood.” He said.
“Then I make you forget,” he thought to himself, “Although, it sounds like the forgetting part isn’t working as well as I would have liked.”
“You take my blood? What manner of man are you?” She asked.
“I honestly don’t know.” He replied. “That creature did something to me. I think I’m becoming like him.”
“Whatever you are, you aren’t like that thing!” She told him. “It was more like a mindless beast than a man.”
“No, not now, but my greatest fear is that over time I will become like that creature.”
“What do you plan to do now?” She asked.
“I need to find out what is happening to me. I was planning to go into town and see if I could find anything in the library.”
“I don’t think you will find anything. I have been through most of the books because of my teaching needs.” She said.
“Did you know that you are with child?” He asked.
“How did you …?” She began, surprised, then sighed. “I suspected but it is too soon to know for certain.”
“I am certain.” He said. “I feared as much. The knowledge I seek is nothing a sane person would believe.”
“There is Mrs. Landry.” She said, frowning in thought. “She lives about 20 miles west of here. She is a rumored to be a gypsy from the old country. She supposedly is a witch and knows everything about the mystical and the fantastic.”
“I shall seek this woman out.” Christopher said. “If she can answer my questions, it will help me fight the creature.” He stood up and headed toward the door.
“You are leaving?” She asked.
“Yes.” He said.
“What if the creature returns?”
“I don’t think you’ll see him tonight.” Christopher said. “He will need to a day or two to recuperate.”
“Be careful.” She said, escorting him to the door.
“I shall.” He said.
Christopher used his new speed to travel the twenty miles to the next settlement. Once there, he asked directions to Mrs. Landry’s cabin. The first person he asked crossed himself and walked away without saying a word. The second person was more helpful. Soon he stood upon her doorstep.
“Mrs. Landry?” He asked when she opened the door a crack and peered at him from within.
“What do you want?” She asked.
“I was told you know many things. I need help in identifying a creature that I discovered in the forest.”
“Go away.” She said.
“Please.” He said. “Twice I have met this thing and each time it surprised me with some new trick. It is a creature of the devil. It is pure evil and you must help me kill it.”
“What manner of tricks?” She asked, opening the door a bit wider.
“It can turn from wolf to man, and from a man to mist.” He said.
“That sounds like the delusions of a drunken man.” She snorted.
??
?It tore my cow apart and drank its blood.” He said. “I shot it in the heart with a lead ball and it did not die.”
“Did you say drank its blood?” She asked sharply.
“It drinks blood. It leaves no tracks. It sleeps from dawn to dusk.
“What else can you tell me?”
The sun burns it. It is far stronger than a normal man, and much faster.” He told her both the creature’s weaknesses and those of himself. His weaknesses should be the creatures as well.
“A vampire!” She gasped. “My mother used to tell us tales from the old country. One of her books described a creature like that. It is a soulless creature, sowing disaster and death.”
“Can it be killed?”
“Stay there. Do not move.” She slammed the door and locked it again.
Christopher stood unmoving. He sensed she was moving around in the cabin. Then she became still. She appeared to be looking at something. A book? She stayed that way for several long minutes. She got up and came back to the door. She opened it a crack and eyed him again.
“Do you have any information for me?” He asked, “Or are you going to stand there eyeballing me old woman?”
“The creature is nearly immortal. It lives by draining the blood from its victims.” She said. “My book said it is allergic to crosses and garlic.”
“Ok. That’s good to know.” He said “What else?”
“The cross is worthless unless the person is a true believer. Without faith it will not work.” She warned.
“Ok, but what about killing it?”
“The book says it can be killed by sunlight. It will burn and turn to ash.”
“Ok, we can make an ash out of him. Anything else?”
“If you decapitate him, he will die. You must bury the head separately from the body. This is true of any of his victims. They must be decapitated and their mouths stuffed with garlic, lest they return from the dead on the second night.”
“The book also says that a wooden stake through the heart will kill it.”
“I shot it through the heart with a 50 caliber musket ball.” He said. “How can a wooden stake kill it when a musket ball would not?”
“I do not know.” She answered. “These are legends and stories. Until tonight, I thought them tales to scare the children. Who can tell truth from fiction?”