Ironic isnt it?? That in my search for death, I found eternal life. *sighs* I am so utterly alone. Since the day I was born, Ive always been. . .differant.
Mama always said there was a spark in my eyes that no one else had. A sense of wonder. Even as a babe I had a deep striving curiosity no one else had. I thirst for knowlege.
It was this wonder, this deep seeded curiosity that drove me to my. . .unnatural death.
This need to live resonated throughout me. I hungered to experience all there was in life. I wanted so desperately to live.
Again there is the Irony. . .
I was adventureuos and left my quaint home at the tender age of sixteen. I set off on my journey, the exploration of life -against my parents wishes of course-
I traveled much. With my meager funds I had to accomplish this in many ways, At first I traveled by train. My allowance dwindled at an alarming rate. Thus I journeyed on foot. Not wanting to settle down. Wanting, needing the exploration, I was forced to live with only the clothes on my back and what pocket change I had. It was ok to sleep on the streets, for it was yet summer, and the coolness of the nyte was welcomed.
I had seen much of the country before my wages ran out. I took to whoring for food, shelter, and travel accomodations. Even this I did not mind. I did, after all, want to learn of life, and sex is a part of life.
I learned so much those years, I thrived at my job, learning more with each new customer. Also I was raised a lady, and it was hard to find a whore with such tutaliage. So gentiles paid good money for me.
Many were kind to me when I shared there bed. But some were cruel and hurtful. But this too was an experience I charised. The pain hurt bad, but I learned to defend myself against such onslaughts, And so, they too, were profitable.
However, by the time I was two and twenty years, I had seen all there was to see in Europe, as well as life itself. I had been raised in a house of wealth and knew what it was to be a lady. Then I had lived as a whore, and learned the ways of the street. I had also become quite scholarly. Aquairing and reading as many books as I could.
I had thought I had lived life to the fullest, and learned all there was. I had learned the ways of men and women, and although I had read of it, had not thought love to be real. For I could never find a mate.
I had no close friends, for as I have said, I was differant. I had already grown weary of life -seeing too much war, famine, and brutality- when the band of travelers took me in. Thus I learned the ways of the gypsy. That was when I learned love was indeed real.
This odd collection of people soon became family to me, and one man, Jeremy, had indeed become more.
We talked often, and on many occasion, simply sat in silence in each others arms. After a year had gone by, Jeremey expressed an interest in taking me as his wife.
On our wedding nyte, when it came time for him to bed me -for Jeremy was a gentleman and would not take me until God saw me as his mate- Jeremy was nervous. He had known of my past, and was afraid he was not good enough, for I had been with many men.
As it turns out he had no reason to worry. He showed me such kindness and gentle loving as such that I had never known before. Always my couplings had been out of passion and on occasion out of fury of rage, but never out of love.
We taught each other much, in and out of the bed. And I truely loved Jeremy, as I had loved no other -even, I confess, myself-
Our small band of gypsys had meager funds to say the least, so when one caught the Fever, the rest soon followed. Jeremy had taken ill, as had the rest. For some odd reason, I had been spared this particular pain. Though I believed it to be a curse, rather than a blessing. For I had to watch, my Jeremy, moname, my beloved, die in horrible agony.
After that i no longer had my desire to live. I had lost my family-albeit by my own choice, they were indeed lost to me- and now my surrogate family, as well as my beloved.
I wandered aimlessy, partaking of no food or drink. Mt suicide attempts were all futile. Throwing myself in front of a horse drawn carriage only to have the horses stop in the knick of time and gain the sympathy of the man inside. He took me to is home -In my weakened state, I hadn't the energy to part my lips to even utter a protest- and took care of me.
I was brought back to health by his kind servant. He himself was always away during the day. Comeing to me only at nyte. I remember opening my eyes half awake in one of my fevered frenzies, to see him standing at the foot of my bed, gazing at me fondly. I would groan and turn over as best I could.
One day, or nyte rather, when I had gained enough strength to stand on my own two legs, I went to explore his house. He whispered my name beside my ear, and, startled, I jumped, expending what lil energy I had. Sagging against him, he lifted me easily in his arms, and gently placed me on a settee.
He asked me how I came to be in front of his carriage that fateful nyte. And I told him my story of loneliness and my search of life.-It had not yet occured to me, to wonder how he knew my name.-
He listned intently to my tale, his eyes full of compassion as they gazed upon my form. When I was finished he put a hand to my face, carressing my lips with the pad of his thumb, and said to me, "My beloved Celeste, certianly named for the stars in the heavens that you contain in your soulful eyes, let me show you a world, with new wonders for you to explore. . .A place where your loved ones will not die and leave you." With that he kissed me tenderly on the lips -much the same way Jeremy had so many times the year before- And proceeded to give me the kiss of the eternal.
When I awoke the next nyte on the settee, Micheal was there. I didnt know how I knew his name -for he had never thought to tell me- I simply knew. He gazed at me with such loving tenderness that I longed to be in his embrace. With in moments thought became reality.
Micheal held me close, seeming to sense my need of it, and whispered sweet words to me. He wanted me to be his bride. . for all eternity.
It was then, in those hours of sweet closeness, that Micheal explained to me what he was, and what he in turn had made me.
I was appauled and shaken with grief, mourning my lost mortality. It was not the need to drink blood, or the loss of the magnificant sun that wounded me so. It was the thought that I could never die, and thus never be with my darling Jeremy agian, that caused me to weep in Micheals arms.
I know Micheal was jealous of my dead husband, and so I tried not to mention him in his presense. After that nyte -seeing the pain in Micheals eyes- I hid my fears and sorrows. Burried them deep in my heart.
In the coming months, I grew to love Micheal, in the way a women grows to love a man. And agreed to marry him. And so, then in my fifth and twentieth year, I had been wed for the second time.
Micheal delayed not in showing me the wonders of our unholy life. I explored this new realm, as I had explored my life when I was young. Micheal delyted in seeing the joy in my face.
We were happy, Micheal and I, and would have continued in our bliss for all eternity if not for one foolish vampyre.
His name was Vladimir Dracul. He became fond of a mortal women named Lucy, and was reackless in his passion. He pursued her with a vengence, and thus made our kind known to the mortal world.
In his dealings with the lady Lucy he encountered a remarkable mortal by the name of Dr. VonHelsing. The good doctor took it upon himself to make his life work out of destryong the retched Dracul and all fiends like him.
To the amazement of fiends everywhere, VonHelsing discovered our singular weaknesses, and used them to his advantage. Vladimir was, of course, destroyed -but his is a tale for another to tell- and Dr. VonHelsing trained others, who then went out to seek the creatures of the nyte.
One such student, Gabriel DelVonte, had returned to his native France to search for our kind. In my brief association with DelVonte, I have found him to be a very perseptive young man.
Micheal and I had spoken with Monsuier DelVonte on several occassions at various social functions. As I have said, Gaberial was a very astute individula. I doubt I would be in error to speculate that the young man had deduced our. . . unholy natures.
One day, as we slept the sleep of vampyres, Monsuier DelVonte advanced upon our krypt and drove a stake through my darling Micheal's heart. I awoke to his screams and shrank against the wall in fear.
Gabe looked at me, an expression which could have been compassion crossed his face, and he retreated through the door, not so much as a word did he utter.
To this very day, I can not fathom why he let me live. Could it be that he was struck by my beauty and had not the heart to destroy me?? Had he fallen in love with me during our brief visits?? Did he think me mortal, and only bound to Micheal by oath?? Or had he simply pittied me as so many have done before him??
Whatever the reason, I had escaped death yet again, at a time when I so deperatly wanted to perish. . .