Oct, 21st, 2010.
Billowing Brook, Colorado
Nathanial Hart was not the same man driving back towards Solitude Peaks as he left it. He had perfected the art of simply existing. He spent his days sleeping and his nights sitting in quiet reflection. Occasionally he would travel to a bar and find someone to feed on. Then he would return home and sit until it was time to sleep.
On this night, he was driving back to that house in Solitude and keeping his promise to Greta. Dead or alive, you never break a promise to a witch.
At least he liked that house and the quiet town it sat in. He'd enjoy settling into it again for a few years.
He stopped off at a bar about an hour away from the town. He would never feed in the town he resided in. He had been alive for as long as he had for a reason. He didn't make mistakes.
He stepped inside a small rundown little hole in the wall of a bar. There were only a few people inside. A few guys were talking at a table, and a redhead was sitting at the bar. She had already noticed him and was pretending she didn't.
He was lucky to get turned at age twenty-four. It was a good age, and he was a good-looking guy. He was tall and fit with an olive-hued complexion. His thick black hair framed a chiseled face with high cheekbones, full lips, and piercing green eyes.
His good looks made it easy to attract people. Once he drew them in, it was easy to lure them away and take what he wanted. The age-old methods worked best, so why reinvent the wheel?
He slid into the booth next to the redhead, and she turned to give him a sly grin.
"Can I buy you a drink?" She asked.
"I'd love a drink." He glanced at her neck and enjoyed the innuendo with a quiet smirk.
She waved over to the bartender.
"Bourbon neat." He said and then turned his attention to her.
She was probably in her early thirties. Freckled fair skin and rosy lips. She wore a tight black top with her cleavage spilling out of it. With it, she wore a pair of skintight blue jeans.
"Mandy." She introduced herself casually, her eyes lustfully looking over him.
"Thank you for the drink, Mandy." He gave her a suggestive smile. She blushed furiously under his gaze.
"You're welcome. You didn't tell me your name." She giggled a bit nervously.
"I know." He whispered in a dangerous tone.
She started to tell some story about her job or something or other. He didn't care. When her drink ran dry, he bought her one more. She droned on and on. It was as if time was moving backward; he was growing so bored.
Finally, she got up to have a smoke and asked him to join her. He followed her casually. Once they got outside, she was chilly, and it was windy.
"Let's go over to the side of the building; it'll block the wind." He suggested as she lit the cancer stick.
They ducked around the corner to a little alley. She started to hand him the cigarette.
"I'd rather have something else." Her eyes lit up at the suggestive tone in his voice. She threw her cigarette down and attacked his lips with her own.
It was nasty. He didn't like kissing as it was, but rotten breath made it all the worse. He indulged her for a little while and then pushed her up against the side of the building. She groaned eagerly and pushed her hips against his. She was searching for a hardness she wouldn't find. He didn't see much, if any, desire for human interaction anymore. He couldn't recall the last time he desired sex. As a young vampire, he was insatiable for it. However, as the years went on, it faded like most humanity-related needs.
He ground into her core with his leg to give her something. She moved against it and moaned like a porn star. He nearly laughed at her dramatics. He started pressing kisses against her neck. She responded by dipping her head back and allowing him further access. His fangs throbbed with anticipation when he looked at the milky white skin on her exposed neck.
As he became ready to feed, his face changed into the monster. His eyes took on a brighter hue, allowing him to see better in the dead of night. His veins darkened and became more prominent under his skin in anticipation of the sweet nourishment. Lastly, his canines elongate into sharp, long fangs that easily slice into thick human skin.
She didn't see his face change as her eyes were closed in ecstasy. She felt it when his sharp canines pierced her silky throat. She gasped in shock but couldn't move; she was pinned against the building. She wouldn't want to, anyhow. She began to feel the pull's pleasure as he drew the sweet nectar into his dry and waiting throat. It was an incredibly pleasurable experience for humans. So long as he was willing to do it this way. He could always pull the life force brutally and make it very painful. Those days, however, were far behind the old vampire.
As he drank from her, he touched her mind with his own. He altered her memory as he did this. She'd only remember this as a random hookup with a stranger in the alley. She wouldn't be able to recall his face. She'd never know what he took from her.
He took one last long draw as she whimpered and moaned. He then licked her wound closed. He released his hold on her, and she slumped against the building wall. She was panting heavily, and her eyes were still closed.
He left her and slipped out into the night, easily hidden by the shadows.
A vast stone house stood just a few miles away on a hidden little dirt road. It was aged and had seen much better days. Many people drove right by it. They would assume it was abandoned ruins when they saw the look of it.
The inside wasn't much better. The paint was peeling off the stoned walls. The floor was worn down to the dirt in some areas. The beds were all shoved against the walls. The small bathroom was always a gross mess. The kitchen was never much better, even though the orphans were supposed to take turns cleaning these rooms.
The room was finally silent. The tiny sounds of whispering and giggling that indicated some of the kids were still awake had finally ceased.
She carefully climbed out of bed. Her bare feet soundlessly hit the floor as she stood. She was wearing her tattered old long white nightgown. She grabbed her shabby but warm flannel and slipped it on with the nightgown. She took her time slowly and carefully tiptoeing from the room.
The big heavy brown doors were kept propped open at night. With so many bodies sleeping in a small room, it got hot and cramped. She quickly slipped through them.
She was embraced by cool and crisp fall air as she stepped outside. It felt good after being cramped up in the stuffy orphanage all day.
She made haste through the yard, passing the iron-clad fence adorned with vines. The damp cold grass felt good under her bare feet. She made her way to the large, beautiful garden and her violet eyes lit up with joy. She loved to come here at night. She was at home amongst the flowers. The moon flowers were all in full bloom and were glowing white under the night sky.
"You're all so beautiful tonight." Her melodic voice rang out in the night air; the flowers waved in the wind as if saying thank you. A little giggle slipped past her soft pink lips as she danced among the flowers.
"Lettie." A voice startled her and pulled her from her celebration.
She whirled around to face her den mother. The older woman had her hands on her wide hips and a scowl across her weathered, bronzed face; her copper eyes held a hint of amusement and a touch of sadness.
"I was just admiring the flowers, Ella," Lettie said in a soft, pleading tone. "You said before it was okay to come out when no one was here."
"Oh, girl." Ella stepped closer; her voice was softer than usual. "It's been a long time; you're eighteen now."
"I know," Lettie said quietly.
She was dropped off when she was born, eighteen years and three days ago. No one had acknowledged her birthday yet. That was normal for an orphanage. However, at eighteen, that usually meant you left.
"I can't keep you here any longer." Ella surprised her with the words she thought she'd never hear. The woman had kept her hidden away all these years. She ensured no one would ever adopt her. Why? More so, why just let her go now?
"Where should I go?" Lettie felt her heart freeze in her chest.
Her dream for eighteen years had been to be free of this place. She never expected it to be given to her, and now she was a little stunned and unsure.
"Ella?" She asked when Ella didn't answer her. Instead, the older woman was looking beyond her. Lettie turned around but saw no one there. She peered into her den mother's copper eyes and noticed how hazy they looked. Was the older woman ill?
"It isn't clear, but plans are in place. Go north, and he'll find you." Ella spoke so suddenly it startled her.
"Who?" Lettie asked, but Ella shook her head sadly.
"But it's night," Ella whispered, looking confused. She then nodded.
"Ella? Who are you talking to?" Lettie asked. "What is going on? Whose path?"
"I don't know." Ella untied her necklace with the rope chain and teal stone. Lettie had never seen her without it. She secured it around Lettie's neck; tears filled her eyes as she did. "I was only supposed to get you this far. Please stay safe, girl; promise me; you'll be careful."
"Ella." Lettie cried as she clasped the stone in her hand. "I can't just leave you like this. I'll stay a little longer and –
"No." Ella clasped her hands in her own. "You must go. I am fading, and when I do, this land will no longer be protected. You must get on the path, so he finds you."
"What path, who?" Lettie asked again.
Ella ignored her. She was urgently pushing her towards the gate. Lettie's violet eyes widened as she noted it was open. It was usually always locked up tight. Ella's face was full of tension, and Lettie didn't even have shoes on. It hit her then how dire this was.
"You trust your instincts, and you be safe, Olette." Ella held tightly to her hands. "Don't go diving headfirst into trouble. Be careful and trust in the plan."
"What plan?" Lettie asked with a frustrated sigh.
"I only hear little whispers and glimpses, darling," Ella said softly. "What they need you to know."
"Who?"
"My coven," Ella said.
"Coven? Like a witch?" The petite brunette asked the older woman. She felt a chill go down her spine as they stood in the center of the garden, surrounded by the bright moon flowers.
"There isn't time to explain, so stop bugging me questions. I just need you to heed my advice, girl."
That sounded more like the stern den mother she knew. Still, though, a lump formed in her throat as she nodded. Something told her this was the last time she'd see Ella. She may have been strict and even harsh at times. However, she'd known her entire life and knew the old woman cared. Lettie would miss her something fierce.
"I'll be careful, Ella. I'll trust whatever this plan is." Lettie promised with a tear in her eye. She let her den mother's hands go.
"Good."
With that, Ella nodded and turned to walk away. She left Lettie standing there with dozens of questions.
She took a brave breath and stepped out of the gate she'd spent her entire life behind. Her heart raced with anticipation as she forged ahead.