Alius sat beside Elizabeth’s shattered body and shook his head. “Was this part of your plan?”

Elizabeth chuckled and let forth a high-pitched whistle. The birds scattered and the forest mist cleared completely.

Alius cocked his head and shuffled on the ground. “It would be better if you accepted this fate. Would be a lot less pain for you.”

She looked at Alius and offered a sad smile. “Can you forgive him?”

Alius scoffed, “David? No.”

Elizabeth’s voice strained as more blood gurgled up her throat, she sucked it back down and coughed. “M-Matthew six—”

“Six: Fourteen, do not quote the book to me, Elizabeth. You are in no position.” Alius crossed his legs. He was dressed in his long coat that he wore when he was captain. “David will soon be at the village, I imagine Hannah will be drained.”

She sobbed softly.

Alius stroked Elizabeth’s hair lovingly. “Come now, no need to cry. Soon it will be over.”

“I do not cry for my pain, Alius.”

He stopped stroking her hair and narrowed his eyes.

Elizabeth’s head lulled to look Alius in the eye, “I cry for you.”

“For me?”

“You have been wronged at every turn. Now you share a hell with us. You deserve better.”

“I deserve everything I get. I shan’t question divine judgement.”

“You call it judgment. Perhaps it is a lesson. You have lost your faith, I feel it.”

Alius nodded. “You still have a sharp mind, despite your naivety. I admire that. You were a worthy wife, for a while.”

Elizabeth sputtered as she laughed, “A compliment. I’ll accept it for what it’s worth.”

They sat there in silence for twenty minutes. Alius would stroke her hair when she let out small cries of pain. “I miss this.”

“What?” She breathed.

“Caring for you.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, “Hardly caring.”

“Remember when you were taken by that awful ailment? You were laid up in bed for three weeks.”

“I do.”

“You were so thankful for my nursing. You strengthened each day and it filled me with so much happiness. I was truly terrified of losing you.”

“You were a good husband…for a while.”

Alius laughed, “Paying the compliment back. You were never one to be left in social debt.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes.

Alius rose slowly and placed his hands on his hips. “I shall leave you be then, Elizabeth. Until next time.”

A crackle came from the trees followed by a call, “Elizabeth!”

“Here.” She groaned.

Alius looked into the distance where two figures emerged from the trees. “Who is this then?”

“My faithful.”

“Elizabeth!” Sylvester dashed towards her and Alius. He stopped when he realised who it was. “Alius.”

“Sylvester.”

Simon grunted as he pulled behind him a large board on ropes.

“You are here to help your queen?” Alius looked down at her and chuckled. “Tis expected that she surrounds herself with the vilest examples of men.”

Elizabeth moaned in pain. “I thought you were leaving, Alius.”

“Indeed. Good luck to you, Sylvester.”

Sylvester frowned. He had aged poorly. He had taken the hermit's life to its most extreme. He only came to his door to accept a body, then dropped it off by the grave by cover of night. “Simon, quickly now!” he knelt beside Elizabeth. “What happened to you?”

“Do not pester me with questions.” She groaned, “You can fix me, yes?”

“I can adjust you.” His smile curled under that crooked nose.

Simon dropped the board beside Elizabeth and grunted.

“Get her on the board, Simon. Be gentle…”

Simon lifted Elizabeth onto the wood. She screamed and sobbed.

“I have never seen you so fragile, my lady,” Sylvester smirked, running his hand through his thin grey hair.

“Do not underestimate me.”

“I would never. It’s why I came.”

The ghoul dragged the board with Elizabeth towards the mortuary.

The mortuary had fallen into ruin, the old stone pillars were overgrown with weeds and the heavy door was hanging askew. Sylvester pushed it open and hurried Simon in.

Elizabeth howled and moaned as she bumped down each step. Simon lifted her on the slab with little care and backed away into the shadowy recesses.

“Now, Elizabeth. This won’t be pleasant.”

“I am aware of that.” She said through gritted teeth.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“I am glad I was not sired on that day. I feel you saved me from a great torment.” Sylvester spoke calmly as he arranged his tools on a wooden trolley.

“Yet you stay loyal to me.”

“I gave you my word. Whistle and I will come.”

Elizabeth’s smile turned around when Sylvester began inspecting his long saw. She cleared her throat of the flem and blood. “Why did you remain loyal?”

“What gives a man cause if not his word to a woman he loves.”

Elizabeth's eyes lulled, “You love me?”

“Not in the way you’d expect.” He placed the saw on the trolley and looked over her. “I shall remake you with what I have available.”

“Don’t make me a ghoul.”

“Not possible, Elizabeth. You’re much too evil for that.” He cackled playfully.

***

George made his way through the centre of the village. He stopped when he saw David standing by the old Willow tree. “Captain!”

The captain turned around to face him and smiled grimly. “Hello, George.”

George cocked his head and pulled back the jaw of his flintlock when he caught sight of his bestial face.

David looked down at the gun and pushed out his bottom lip. “They gave you a gun? That didn’t cross my desk.” He stepped towards George.

George backed away slowly. “What’s going on, Captain.”

“Where is Hannah?”

He raised his gun, “You were chasing her.”

David smiled, revealing his rows of spiney alabaster fangs. “I was.” He narrowed his eyes. “Where is she?”

George looked around the village, he was alone.

“Ah, she’s at old man Gravesons house.”

“I shan’t let you near her.”

“Oh, no.” David held up his hands, still walking towards him. “Put the gun down, George.”

“I will shoot you, Captain. Do not cross me.” His hand was shaking.

David moved like a ray of light and grabbed the gun from his hand before shoving him back. “Thank you, George.” He fired the gun.

George roared and grabbed the side of his leg. “Animal!”

David discarded the smoking flintlock and dusted his hands. “I think you’ll find you’re the animal. I shall save you for later. I’d much like you to watch.”

Several villages stood at their doors and watched with confusion. One man ran over to George bravely and began tending to his wounds. David paid them no mind, for he only had one person in his gaze.

George tried to tell the folks moving to aid to follow David and stop him, but none dared. Darkness permeated from the vampire that cast fear into regular hearts. He had grown as powerful as he could without a meal.

***

Hannah sat in the living room of the dilapidated homestead. Graveson never much cared for possessions or things of comfort. The home was bare and dusty except for the old chairs and small table.

The table had a small mug that was filled with mould. Hannah thought this must have been the last drink he had before dying. An odd thought to see a man's home frozen in time, and even more peculiar that George did not attempt to tidy the house. She couldn’t even remember anyone mentioning his passing, everyone had forgotten about him.

Her attention was pulled from the old mug to the window, a light tap rattling the glass. She half stood and leaned over to see who it might be. No one there. “Bloomin trees…” she said.

The door rattled. “Open up, quickly.”

Hannah’s eyes brightened, she recognised that as Georges's voice. She dashed to the door and pulled it open, only to fall back aghast. “No!”

David stood at the door with a polite smile and his hands behind his back. “May I come in?”

Hannah remembered the old rules Alius would speak of. The formal de-invitations her parents had to make by way of letter to everyone in the village. “No! You’re not to come in, you’re not invited!”

The vampire smiled and nodded. “Ah, please Hannah. I shan’t move from this spot. You will have to come out or let me in at some point. Poor George would not do well if I were here when he returned.”

Hannah flushed. “You know of George, y-you must have caught him already!”

David’s eyes widened and glinted a bright red. “Ah, astute. Then you now know you’re alone. No one will help you. Embrace this.”

“I shall die in here before I come out to you! I’ll take my own life!” She clambered to her feet and slammed the door in his face.

“Let us put that to the test,” said David through the window. He tapped it with his fingers and vanished from her sight.

Elizabeth's eyes watered with each suture Sylvester pulled through her neck.

“Easy now, Elizabeth.”

“Are you sure this will work?”

“My dear, I have never done this. I could not be certain of anything.”

“Whose body have you put me on?” Elizabeth had asked so many times she had lost count. Sylvester had denied her an answer thus far.

“It’s best we just get you moving, it’s your body now. Does it matter who owned it previously?”

“I wish to know. Tell me, Sylvester.”

Sylvester lifted his head to inspect his work, nodding happily. “I need to put your heart in this body. According to the tomes.”

“Which tomes?”

“The ones referencing this curse.”

Elizabeth tried to move her body but could only feel her head. Though the body she was attached to seemed quite alive, the chest rose and lowered as if it was taking in oxygen.

“I thought David burned them all.”

“Not even close, Elizabeth.”

“Why was this hidden from me?”

“It wasn’t hidden from you. You never cared to ask.”

Elizabeth growled. “I remember why I rarely visit you.”

“Indeed. Anyhow. The heart is the key.”

“Does it speak of the origins?”

“Origins?”

“The curse, how it came about.”

Sylvester smiled. “It does. Well, it did.”

“It did?”

“Alius was shrewd enough to remove articles that he felt I should not know. Privileged details.”

“Well. That makes sense.”

“I never thought Alius was one of you.”

“He isn’t one of me.”

“He certainly is.” Sylvester clicked his fingers at Simon and ordered him to pin Elizabeth’s body down. Although broken, a stray clawing hand would cause grievous wounds.

“This curse takes its victims in different ways.”

“I always wondered what it would do to me.”

“You wanted to be loved. Perhaps it would have given you the face of a darling.”

“The only miracle worker in here is me.” Sylvester winked before cutting into Elizabeth’s body.

Elizabeth watched from the slab. It was odd seeing her form being handled while her head sat on another's body. Fortunately, she wasn’t squeamish. She even took some form of pleasure from it, feeling a slight comfort that her sins were being met with a worthy punishment. She was beyond salvation in her own mind, that was a distant memory. Now she wanted to save the village. She felt the weight of responsibility more than any pain.

“Now, let’s get your heart in this body.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She heard the squelching and slopping of viscera.

Sylvester began to sew the heart in and the chest closed. Once he had finished he placed a hand on her chest and smiled. “It is done.”

“I still cannot feel anything.”

“I know.”

“So it has failed? I am stuck?”

“No, I do not think so. I consulted the book. You must feed.”

“I vowed to not feed.”

“Then your vow leaves you here. This wouldn’t be the first time you broke your vows.”

Elizabeth gritted her teeth. “Then do you have a source?”

“Me.”

“I shan’t sire you, Sylvester.”

“I don’t wish to be sired. Drain me till death.”

“Why would you do this?”

“I understand this curse, Elizabeth. I’d rather be dead than live alongside it a moment longer.”

“Before I do. Tell me whose body I am attached to.”

Sylvester smiled and nodded. “Very well. Esmeralda’s.”

“How?”

“I kept her body preserved.”

“For this moment?”

“Let’s not go into details.”

Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Right then.”

“I suppose I’ve made an honest woman out of you, Elizabeth.”

“Do not give me reason to prolong this feed, mortician.”

“Of course, my lady.”