Beauty and Her Vampire {Watty Awards}

BAHV (Prologue)

2012 © Sonia Bartlett

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This story, "Beauty and Her Vampire" including all chapters, prologues/epilogues, characters, places and associated content (i.e. fancies, teasers, and content within blogs, social networks, and eReaders) is copyright. All rights are reserved by the owner and creator of this work – Sonia Bartlett – and any unauthorized copying, broadcasting, manipulation, distribution, or selling of this work constitutes as an infringement of copyright. Any infringement of this copyright is punishable by law. Any links, brand names or otherwise copyrighted material is not this author's, and is not covered by this copyright. No copyright infringement intended.

Prologue

     Long ago, invaders came to our country. Savage, bloodthirsty beasts they were. They raped our women and murdered our men and children. What exactly they were after…we didn’t know. Seemingly overnight, dozens poured in, destroying our small farming village. Our numbers dwindled dangerously until one night, a man came.

     He was from amongst their ranks, but sickened by their behaviors. The man offered the townspeople safety. He would rid their village of these monsters – but at a price. The people agreed eagerly. What choice did they have?

     That night, as promised, the invaders were annihilated. They lie where they slept, some mutilated beyond recognition, some just as pristine as if they’d been asleep…and all the more terrifying for it.

     The man came to the village leaders that night once the bodies had been burned. He demanded payment in the form of a girl. Every new moon a girl was to be offered as payment for his services. A sacrifice, if you like.

     The villagers, horrified, protested violently. So quick his very form blurred, the man was across the room beside the leader. A moment later, the leader’s body dropped to the ground, dead, and the man was standing where he was before.

     Screams arose, echoing across the small building. The rest of the village, the man warned, would meet the same fate if his wishes were not complied to. He turned, striding to the door, but was stopped by the leader’s sobbing wife.

     She demanded to know how long such sacrifices would be demanded. He replied until such a time as he was satisfied. In face of her undeniable grief, his eyes softened. He would return the bodies when he was finished with them, he announced. That would be his only concession. When he stopped returning the bodies, the village was free – their debt was paid in full.

     It has been three hundred years and still the bodies come.

     Oh, some take longer than others. At first the villagers sacrificed the sickly – the weak. Those were returned seemingly overnight. Slowly they became more desperate for the punishment to end, dragging unwilling girls to a scaffold in chains to prevent them from escaping.

     Eventually, the girls of the villagers became resigned. Slowly, over the years, the sickly girls were passed over for the more beautiful girls. Those lasted longer…very rarely several months at a time, sparing others in their stead.

    Sometimes though, if a person has committed a crime, rather than punishment, if they have a daughter or sister, she is to become the next Aukoti, or offering.

     The longest ever the village been spared is three moons. That body was returned two sunsets ago. And tomorrow is the new moon.

     Most of the village is poor, and my family is no different. My father, disabled; my mother, working all she can; my brother...he did what he could. What he thought was right.

     Unfortunately, he got caught.

     And as for myself? Well...I am next in line. I am the next Aukoti.

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     What do you think? I'm thinking of modeling this after Beauty and the Beast. What if the beast were a vampire? Cool? Yes, no?

     ~ Sonia