Blood Lust

Dante

2003

Remind me why I am in the dark like a criminal in an amusement park with my mom, sister and the guards?

Aaah I remember... We are here because my mom feels we should have fun like kids. I was born in 1993, but that doesn’t make me a kid. I’ve seen what many kids shouldn’t see so I don’t perceive why I am here, in the dark if I must add.

My little sister giggled from the swing, demanding that my mom push her higher. I watched my mom smile at her, pretending that the stretching of her cheeks are real.. Pretending that all is okay when she knows nothing is fine.

That I’m here without a daylight ring proves as much.…

That she waits for my father to leave to handle his business before taking us out to have fun proves as much...

That she has a scarf round her neck even though the air isn’t chilly proves as much...

And because Dominic is looking at my mother with longing in his eyes proves as much... And if you are wondering how a ten year old can tell, remember that there is nothing young about me.

Hell if I am going to stand here and watch everybody pretend, everybody expect my sister, of course.

I strode away from the park, not caring whether the lone sentinel stationed there dared to utter a word of protest. The peals of laughter and mirth behind me slowly faded as I made my way towards a solitary figure perched on a swing that was a fair distance from the one where my sister was still enjoying herself. A curious impulse impelled me to approach the figure, although I was uncertain of my motives and did not wish to frighten her.

As I drew nearer, I discerned that it was a young girl who sat there all by herself. She appeared lost in thought, with her head bowed and her fingers twirling a strand of hair. When I stood a few paces away from her, she looked up, her dark eyes gazing at me intently.

"What brings you out here all alone, little one?" I inquired gently, mindful not to startle her.

She regarded me with tear-streaked eyes, prompting me to wonder what had troubled her so. Before I could answer her question, she spoke again, her voice quavering with emotion.

"What brings you out here all alone, little boy?" she asked, her gaze never leaving mine.

I let out a short, mirthless laugh. I was hardly a little boy, but I didn't see the need to correct her. Instead, I offered her my handkerchief when I saw her struggling to wipe her nose with her sleeve. She hesitated for a moment, eyeing the square of cloth as if it were a foreign object.

"It's just a handkerchief, little girl," I reassured her. "It won't hurt you."

Taking it from me, she mumbled a soft "thank you." Just as I was about to inquire about her reasons for being alone in the park, I heard a familiar voice at the entrance. It was my father, and he had arrived in his car.

I cast a quick glance towards the young girl, realizing with a pang of apprehension that if my father caught sight of her, he might take her captive and train her to become an "Iska." These were young girls who were kidnapped and then groomed to provide a stable supply of blood to our family. I couldn't bear the thought of this green-eyed child being subjected to such a fate.

I grasped her delicate hand with a sense of urgency and pulled her away from the swing with an unyielding determination, not giving her any chance to resist. With every step, we gained momentum and within moments, we were hurtling out of the park at a breakneck speed. As we moved further away from the park, I felt a sense of relief and assurance that I had successfully distanced her from my father's prying eyes.

Finally, I halted our mad dash and released her from my grip. As she stood before me, her eyes widened in amazement and wonder. "How did you do that? You were vury fast!" she exclaimed, with a hint of awe in her voice.

I couldn't help but shake my head at her broken English, realizing that I was dealing with a child who was yet to master the intricacies of the language. "Haven't your parents warned you never to wander alone in the dark?" I chided her, hoping to instill some sense of caution in her.

As she looked around, her eyes darting from side to side, she seemed to comprehend the gravity of her actions. However, before she could respond, I interrupted her train of thought. "You will forget everything that happened tonight and run home like a good little girl," I commanded, my voice laced with a tinge of authority.

With a nod of her head, she acquiesced to my demand, and I detected a faint whiff of rose emanating from her. Turning on my heels, I retraced my steps and returned to the spot where I had left my father. As I had suspected, the area was deserted, with only small traces of blood visible on the ground.

2005

Lucy

Despite the fear that darkness instills in many people, it is a source of comfort and safety for me. When I am surrounded by darkness, I feel protected from the prying eyes of the world. I can hear the sounds of the outside world, the voices of people, their footsteps, and the occasional car passing by, but I cannot see them. This gives me a sense of peace that I cannot find anywhere else.

However, on this particular night, I could hear more than just the usual sounds of the outside world. I could hear shouting and screaming, and it was coming from my own home. It was my mother and her latest boyfriend, and they were having yet another argument. I despised being around her, and I wished that it was her and not him in that truck, so I wouldn't have to hide away in the dark.

I remember the day when my father found out that my mother was using cocaine to escape from her problems, including her failed marriage. He was devastated, and he had planned to take me away from her. However, he never returned, and instead, men in blue suits arrived and informed us that he had been involved in a fatal car accident. My mother cried that day, and the men in blue suits consoled her, but I knew the truth. She was the reason my father was no longer with us.

I wanted to tell the men in blue suits everything, to show them the kitchen cabinets where my mother kept her stash of cocaine, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Despite everything, she was still all I had left. And now, as I listened to her screaming and demanding drugs from her latest boyfriend, I knew that my life would never be the same.

"Let go of me, b*tch!!!... I don’t have any coke to give to you," he yelled, his voice echoing through the darkness. It was only a matter of time before things got out of hand, and I knew that I needed to be ready for whatever might happen next. In the darkness, I found solace, but I also found strength.

"That is not the agreement we had, Josh," Angela said with a hint of desperation in her voice. "You promised to provide me with some today."

Josh's frustration was evident as he responded, "I'm telling you, I don't have it! No one is worth all this trouble. Your daughter didn't even let us have a good time, and now you're demanding more coke? You know what, Angela? Don't ever call me again."

"Josh, please don't do this," Angela pleaded. "I need it. I need it to get through."

The loud sound of the door slamming shut confirmed that Josh was not going to listen to her. The house was now silent, and I knew what was going to happen next. It was something that occurred every time she lost one of her suppliers.

"Lucy! Lucy! You rotten piece of luck! Where are you?" Angela yelled in frustration. "I should throw you off the d*mn roof for your bad luck. I regret ever giving birth to you. If only heaven had heard my prayers and taken you in that truck with your worthless father, then I wouldn't have to suffer all these losses!"

As I clutched onto the handkerchief nestled in my pocket, a strange sense of comfort washed over me. It was a peculiar piece of cloth that I couldn't recall how it ended up in my possession, but it had become a source of solace for me. Whenever I faced the never-ending trials inflicted upon me by my mother, I found myself reaching for it, holding it close to my heart. It seemed to imbue me with a sense of calm and strength, as if it were a conduit for some mystical force that helped me endure.

The handkerchief was exquisitely personalized, with intricate patterns etched into the fabric. As I ran my finger over it, I felt the rough edges of the letters engraved on it - CARDIN. It was a name I did not recognize, yet it felt familiar, like a word on the tip of my tongue that I couldn't quite remember. Nonetheless, the sense of familiarity gave me a sense of belonging, as if I were part of something greater than myself.

Perhaps it was the magic of the handkerchief, or maybe it was my imagination, but whenever I held onto it, I felt like I could conquer anything that came my way. It gave me the courage to face the challenges that lay ahead, and it reminded me that I was not alone. As long as I had the handkerchief, I could weather any storm that threatened to overwhelm me.

So, I continued to hold onto it, tightly gripping it as if my life depended on it. For in many ways, it did. The handkerchief had become a part of me, a talisman that I could not bear to be without. And with it, I knew that I could face whatever lay ahead, no matter how difficult or daunting it may seem.

2007

Cardin

The memory of that little girl haunted me even in my dreams. Those piercing green eyes, innocent yet full of wonder, seemed to follow me wherever I went. It was the reason why I found myself drawn back to this park, despite the ugly incident that occurred here. I couldn't shake the feeling that if I returned here, I would find her, that somehow, she would find her way back to this place. Perhaps it was my way of atoning for my failure to protect the green-eyed girl I had lost.

Baron, my closest friend, looked around the park warily. "What are we doing here, Cardin? Your father will lose his mind if he finds out you returned here," he said, his voice low and cautious.

I chuckled dryly, the sound barely escaping my lips. "What's he going to do that he hasn't done before?" I asked, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger.

Baron shrugged, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. "Beheading me is something new Cardin," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I glanced at him, trying to gauge if he was serious. "My father may be many things, but he's not stupid. Killing the son of a beta is like declaring war," I said, my voice laced with bitterness.

"A war your father seems more than willing to start and finish," Baron retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "That man is a f*ck*ng dictator."

I looked up at the sky, taking in the muted colors of dawn. "We should get going," I said, my voice softening. "The sun will be up soon, and we don't want to be caught here."

Baron stared at me, his eyes glimmering in the moonlight. “We’ve been coming to this place for over two weeks, Cardin,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice. “I need to know why we keep coming here.”

I took a deep breath, glancing around the deserted alleyway. “I keep coming here to check on a little girl,” I said quietly.

Baron looked confused. “What little girl?” he asked.

“The little girl that keeps drawing me here.”

Baron raised an eyebrow. “You keep going round in circles, Cardin,” he said with a sigh. “No wonder you drive your mother crazy.”

I ignored his jibe about my mother. If anyone was driving anyone crazy, it was my mother driving me insane with her constant hovering around Dominic.

“Are we going to use the car?” Baron asked, his tone impatient. “I need to feel the wind in my hair.”

“We are using the car, Baron,” I replied firmly. “You need the air, I don’t. So let’s move.”

Baron grunted under his breath. “What’s the point of being a vampire if you can’t use your supernatural powers?” he muttered.

I shook my head, ignoring him. Instead, I found myself reflecting on my existence as a vampire.

My name is Cardin Velvet, and I am a vampire. We live among mortals, occupying positions of power and influence. In our society, we live by rank – King, Beta, Chief Soldiers, Chief Maids, Maids, Iska, and so on. I fall into the Princewood rank.

When I refer to Mr. Vincent Velvet as my father, I don’t mean he gave birth to me. Vampires are referred to as cold creatures, dead creatures, unable to reproduce. Every king before my father did the same. They would kidnap orphans, hold them captive, and torture them. The one who survived would become the crown prince. That’s how I became the unfortunate creature and prince that I have no interest in being.

Living with a tyrant father and a mother whom he beats all the time is not something I look forward to. I don’t blame my mother for falling for Dominic, who treats her with kindness and respect.

Everybody despises my father, including me.

Cardin

Present

"When you commit actions that I find reprehensible, consequences must follow. Unfortunately, execution is not an option in this situation."

"Dad, I implore you, please don't do this..."

"Don't address me as 'Dad'; I demand the title of 'sir' from you. While I will pardon your mother, she will remain in a silver casket for as long as I desire. As for your sister, she will pay for your sins. No one will care if she is alive or dead. You will witness her demise as I pierce her heart with a silver dagger."

"Please, sir, don't punish them for my mistake. I let the Iska escape, not them. Please discipline me and spare them from harm."

"You will bear witness to your sister's death and know that it was caused by your actions. All for an Iska that you know nothing about. May this guilt