Chapter Five - Emily (cont.)

[Here is the continuation of yesterday's excerpt. Remember, it's not edited.]



Dracula nodded in understanding. He opened the heavy wooden door using its metal handle. It swung open without any sound, mimicking the vampire mannerisms.

After opening the door, Dracula stepped aside to allow Neroma to enter before himself. Dracula followed after her and shut the wooden door behind him.

Before them, two humans sat on the cold stone floor. Their wrists and ankles were clasped in irons which were chained to the stone wall behind them.

The human on the left was a thin woman who looked about eighteen years of age. She had long black hair and pale skin, but not as pale as her visitors. The dress she wore was a dark green and would have reached her ankles if she stood up to her full height. It had been buttoned up the back with delicate fingers that were not her own. There were tear stains on the girl’s face and her cheeks were dirty. Her hands and feet were covered in blood. She had struggled so defiantly with the shackles themselves that she made her wrists and ankles bleed. She was most likely the one who had been heard screaming.

The human on the right was a female as well who looked about twenty years of age. She had long brown hair and somewhat tanned skin. She also wore a dress about the same length, but hers was not as fancy as the dark green the other girl wore. This girl’s dress was a light brown which resembled the color of the soil, it had patches in a few places, and the hem was so dirty it was almost black. There were no tear stains on her face and her body was free of blood. She had not struggled as far as the surface was concerned.

“You will choose one,” Neroma began, “and you will change her. This is your cure.”

Dracula was still appraising the two females on the floor before him. He did not notice their beauty, nor how the second girl’s beauty out weighed the other’s.

Neroma turned Dracula’s face to look upon hers.

“Choose one and change her,” Neroma repeated.

“I do not know how Neroma, please guide me.” Dracula said.

Neroma let her hand fall from under his face as she turned to face the women on the floor.

“Pick the one to change first,” Neroma began to guide him.

Dracula studied each of them, but still surpassed their beauty because Neroma was the only woman in the world to him.

He noticed the first woman’s aristocratic manner of her dress compared to the second woman’s dirty garden dress. By simply looking into their faces, Dracula could tell that the first was spoiled and selfish. Dracula did not think she would make a good addition to Neroma’s coven. Neroma’s coven was hard working and devoted, but this girl would not be either of the two.

The second woman’s manner was the opposite of the firsts. She looked to be a hard worker, especially with her hands. Her face was firm and she had not cried out as far as anyone knew.

“Pick me!” The first woman shouted. “Please! I want to live.”

Dracula’s gave did not shift from the second woman’s figure; she had not flinched or shown any emotion when the other woman had cried out. She was not afraid.

Dracula nodded in the second woman’s direction, but to the human’s eyes it could have been directed towards either of them. Neroma knew, unlike the humans, which one Dracula had picked.

“That is a good choice my pet,” Neroma said as she laid a hand on Dracula’s back.

His eyes closed in satisfaction; he had pleased her.

“Me! You must mean me. Who would want her?” The first girl said.

“Silence,” Neroma said.

“Oh thank you, thank you!” The first girl continued.

“Silence!” Neroma’s commanding voice echoed throughout the dungeon and the first girl shrank back against the wall behind her.

“Now dear one, follow my guidance.” Neroma told Dracula.

Dracula nodded.

Neroma lowered her voice so that only Dracula could hear her. “The one you have picked, you will approach her. You will sink your fangs into her as you would prey, but instead of draining her you will leave her barely alive. After you have done this you will cut your own skin, making yourself bleed into her mouth. She will drink of your blood and soon be one of our kind.”

Dracula nodded again.

He waited for barely a second to make sure Neroma had nothing else to add, and then he began walking towards the second woman. She did not show fear, nor did she cry out or plead. Her fate was approaching slowly with each step Dracula took and she did not plan to fight. Destiny was destiny and nothing more nor less.

Dracula bent down near her face.

“This time, it will not hurt.” Dracula said.He was not addressing the second woman, but all of his prey who were now in the afterlife.