SHORT STORY - I WAS BORN A VAMPIRE - ORIGIN 2013

 Copyright to Jonathan O'Donnell - Protected under UK and International Copyright Laws, any reproduction, copying or publishing without the Authors express consent is strictly prohibited.



I WAS BORN A VAMPIRE
Copyright © 2013 Jonathan O’Donnell


Good Evening, I am your Vampire Guidance Officer


Elliott Jones sat silently at his desk scrolling through his list, the open plan office was empty, but then it always was during his shift. After all, humans worked day shifts and vampires worked the night. Elliott leaned forward and touched the screen on a name.

***

Name: Jim MacKensie
Age: 15
Address: Maidstone. Kent UK.
Year of expected Transformation: March 2121

***

Elliot selected print and then selected his mode of transport from New York to England. His theatre of responsibility was young males in northern Europe. Selecting a flight he switched off his screen and took the elevator to the roof. Already waiting for him was the transport, its engine hummed and its blades rotated at subsonic speeds. He climbed into the seat and darkened the glass. He would be flying into the morning sun and he didn't fancy being turned to ash. He strapped his belts on and the dashboard lights changed from red to green. A moment later he felt his stomach change as the transport accelerated the blades to supersonic speeds and lift vertically into the sky.

James MacKensie packed his school bag, before going to the bathroom to apply sun block. He used factor one hundred now, it was the only way he could go to school. He was bullied everyday for his pale complexion, his red lips and blue eyes. The names were cruel and targeted his physical appearance. Nevertheless, James was strong willed, he was determined, he felt physically strong, and powerful he felt he had another higher purpose. 
James took the hover bus to school, ignoring the insults and the head slaps by his fellow pupils on the bus. Even the driver laughed when he tripped leaving the bus, landing him and his bag in a puddle. The day continued as it had begun, and as always he was relieved to get home. His foster parents were kind and supportive, but he refused to have them fight his battles. 
During dinner he felt sick, he gave up trying to eat which concerned Karen, his stepmother.
“James, are you ok? Do you have a temperature?” her face concerned, she reached across and put her hand on his forehead. “You feel hot, why don’t you go and lie down and I will bring you up something later.” She smiled and kissed his cheek.
Karen heard his door close and she turned to her husband. “I think it’s almost time,” she sat down despondent, she knew the day was coming, the day she had dreaded for fifteen years; they knew the conditions under which they had taken James when he was just three months old. Nevertheless, he was her baby boy, to say goodbye, to admit to him they had not told him the truth these past fifteen years was something she had never wanted to face. Rickard put his arm around his wife, pulling her towards him.
“We knew one day this day would come, one day we would lose our boy forever.”

James sat on his bed in his room; he felt so incredibly hungry, his skin dry and itchy and his mouth like the Sahara desert. In the corner of his room was his Guinea Pig, Harry chirping merrily to himself. James looked over at him, but his eyes felt odd, he could not focus, Harry appeared as a glowing fluffy ball. James rubbed his eyes and looked again, this time Harry was clearer but James could see channels of bright yellow flowing  liquid moving round his tiny body. James felt an incredibly urge, he fought it, but his mouth felt strange, a sweet taste, and irresistible hunger tore as his stomach muscles. He rolled over onto his bed, his face to the wall trying to suppress the thoughts. However, all that was in his mind was Harry, a delicious succulent Harry. Suddenly James felt a sharp pain in his upper jaw, his hand grabbed his lips, and he felt something strange. He got up and went to look in the mirror on the back of his bedroom door. He opened his mouth and what he saw rocked him, he blinked then gingerly he touched them. In his mouth were two brilliant white one-inch long fangs. He moved closer and looked at them in detail; he could feel two tiny holes in the back of each fang with the tip of his index finger, close to the sharp points. His eyes widened, his was breathing heavily, his chest felt tight, and fear of the unknown seized his mind. Then his attention and thoughts drew back to Harry in the cage. Harry seemed even brighter and looked redder, James looked back into the mirror his eyes turned jet black from corner to corner and lid to lid. Then he a deafening sound in his ears, ‘ba boom, ba boom’ it was almost unbearable, covering his ears eased the decibels slightly. He followed the sound and it took him to Harry’s cage. James's eyes could see a bright red guinea pig with channels of red flowing liquid through him towards his tiny heart that was the cause of the pounding on his eardrums. Harry looked at him as James's nose touched the metal cage. He quivered with fear and tried to hide under the wood shavings.

Karen cleared away the last of the plates, scraping James's dinner into the bin when the doorbell chimed. Rickard opened the door.
“Good evening, my name is Elliott Jones; I am your Guidance Officer for James!”
Karen dropped the plate onto the floor the noise echoed through the house. Rickard looked at Elliott; he pulled the door open letting him in. 

In the days of myths and legends and books and films, inviting a vampire into your home was the cardinal mistake of the innocent unwitting victim. However, since the Rome Cordial Agreement of 2117, signed in secret by two hundred and twenty three nation states the situation was now quite different. The treaty kept secret from the general populace of Earth, only the most senior members of governments knew the dirty treacherous deal that had been reached with Grando. A new United Nations committee and management structure formed to enforce the agreement and to meet the Grando's terms of peace. Antarctica was selected as the most isolated location far from human settlements and with its winters of darkness offered the most natural environment and launching point towards Mars. The cost to humanity, they sacrificed Mars, the Colonies, and the people, some of which were the brightest the Earth had ever produced. However, it was that betrayal or try to contain the uncontainable, vampire births had been increasing for decades. On Earth, one in a thousand births indicated a possible vampire transformation. If that continued, a plague of twelve million vampires would be too much to hide, too much to control and human deaths would increase to over six hundred million a year. To this end, the most restrained vampires were selected to careful manage the births and the child’s transformation. Elliott was one of the first, and the most experienced and one of the most trusted by both sides. Nevertheless, even he felt the deal was costly to the human species, they had sold out humanity on Mars, sacrificed them to be slaves and cattle to protect Earth.

“Where is James?” asked Elliott.
“In his room, he has already rejected human food this evening, your timing sadly is perfect,” said Rickard.
Karen was picking up the pieces of china plate off the kitchen floor. She cut her finger and the aroma of fresh iron rich blood filled Elliott’s nostrils. He felt his fangs tingle; he controlled his natural urges to drink her dry.
Rickard called up the stairs. “James, would you mind coming down and meeting someone?”
“Not now, I am busy,” replied James his voice stroppy and bad tempered.
“Now please James!” demanded Rickard.

James sat on his bed, the cage housing Harry's neck was ripped open and his dead pet lay lifeless in his hands. Tears ran down his cheeks, he could not contain his anger at himself for destroying the life he had nurtured for the last two years. Harry may have been old, but James haunted by the squeals as Harry tried to escape him, nor the tiny eyes looking into his and the pounding speed of Harry’s tiny petrified heart.
“Leave me alone!” shouted James.
Elliott put his hand up preventing Rickard from shouting a response. Elliott would go to James; this was not his first teenage transformation event. Teens were notoriously stroppy and emotional and on occasions quite violent.
On the landing he knocked on the door of James room, it was easy to find, it had a 'Keep Out' sign on the door.
“Leave me alone!” bellowed James voice from the other side of the door.
Elliott ignored him and opened the door; James was sitting on his bed cradling the dead Guinea pig. He looked up, “Who are you?”
Elliott smiled, showing his fangs, “I am Elliott, I am like you, and you are like me.”
James caught sight of Elliott’s Fangs, his own still dripped with Harry’s blood. “What are we?”
Elliott moved forward, he noticed the dented cage and took Harry from James's hands and placed Harry gently back into his cage. He sat down next to him. 
“We are different; we are not human but a completely different species. We have been watching you and protecting you since you were born. And now it’s time for you to come with me!”
James looked at Elliott, he brought his legs up and tucked him arms around them. “What is wrong with me?”
“Nothing James, nothing at all, you are what you were meant to be, don’t be afraid, I am here to guide you, to help you and take you to a place that is safe where you can discover your true self!”
“Right now? Today?” asked James.
“Yes, I am afraid so, especially considering the circumstances,” Elliott looked at the cage, “Sadly any humans near you are no longer safe to be around you.”
James shook his head violently, “No, no I would never harm my parents.”
Elliott patted his knee, “Sadly lad you would not be given much of a choice, once the urges inside continue to grow your animal instincts will be too strong for you to resist, and their warm blood too powerful to ignore. For their sake and yours we must leave. Pack a bag and meet me downstairs in five minutes.” Elliott stood up, he looked at young James, smiled and left his room pulling the door closed behind him.

Downstairs Karen was hugging Rickard; he was doing his best to console her. Elliott appeared and Rickard urged his wife to have a seat.
“We will be leaving in five minutes!” Elliott announced. “The United Nations thanks you for your service to both species.”
Karen looked up, “You cannot have him, he is my boy, mine!”
Elliott bared his teeth and his eyes turned black, “Can’t!” he hissed, “You dare to challenge!”
Rickard moved between them quickly, his body submissive as was his tone, “Please forgive her, she loves the boy, and she dotes on him. This is so hard for her.”
Elliott’s eyes lightened and the light blue returned. “Understandable but not acceptable, control your woman Rickard or you will both be travelling to Antarctica too!”
Rickard nodded, he took Karen's hand and squeezed it, urging her to silence.
James appeared at the bottom of the stairs, he looked at his parents, putting his bag down he walked over and looked at his Dad, Rickard pushed his hand out “Good luck my boy; I will miss you with all my heart.” 
James took the hand but moved forward and hugged his father. His senses nearly overwhelmed him; he could feel every beat of his father’s blood rich heart. James looked at his Mum. Rickard stepped to the side.
Karen stood up, moved forward, and hugged him, she kissed his cheek, “I love you James, always and forever. Wherever you are, if you need us, we are here.”
He hugged her tightly, he would miss her more than he would miss anyone else, she had been everything to him, and from the nighttime lullabies to plasters on knees she had nurtured him and guided him. Everything he knew and every moral he had, had been due to her.
Elliott patted James shoulder, “It is time!”
James followed him to the front door; he turned and waved at his parents for the last time, and closed the door behind him.
Outside a transport hummed patiently for them both, its blades rotating patiently.
“Where are we going?” asked James.
“New York first for registration, marking and coding then on to Antarctica,” replied Elliott.
“Blimey, I have never even left Maidstone before,” replied James.

As the transport lifted into the night Karen stood at the window, her hands pressed firmly to the glass watching the transport disappear into the night.

By the time, James was high up and flying west and his home was out of his view the last few seconds of life his stepparents had were spent in each other’s arms. The fireball was quick, deadly and destroyed their home and its entire contents. His parents had never noticed the briefcase that Elliott had carried into their home, nor had they noticed they he had left it neatly placed against the banister of the stairs.


James was none the wiser to the fate of his foster parents and that is how is how it was planned to be, a quick clean painless transformation with no traces or clues left behind and key, no one to blab to talk.

 Copyright to Jonathan O'Donnell - Protected under UK and International Copyright Laws, any reproduction, copying or publishing without the Authors express consent is strictly prohibited.



I WAS BORN A VAMPIRE
Copyright © 2013 Jonathan O’Donnell

No comments:

Post a Comment