Salvation

Cold and desolate, the barren streets of a ravaged world stood silent. Empty of, yet infested with blood thristy demons at night, and quietly populated with the remaining survivors of the human race at dawn.

Dangerous as the world was now, one power hungry man had withstood the torment of hell that now scoured the earth. Fearlessly, he stood, on the border of the holy ground, a haven for anyone who could safely arrive there, and outside of the horror where life pinned you as prey or predator.

"Are you sure she'll come?" The priest beside him asked wearily as he pulled his tattered grey robe more tightly to his chest.

The man stood staring into the foggy night before him. "She'll come," he replied coldly.

A piercing scream resonated from the mist of the disappearing night. A well figured silhouette of lustful curves and long hair revealed approached from the darkness.

"PRIIIIIIIIEST!" An vengeful, feminine voice roared. "You took someone that belongs to me!"

"He took nothing, madam," The fearless man shouted back, "I came to him."

A slit of moonlight shined through the night sky to reveal confusion on the woman's face. An army of demons stood readily behind her, waiting for their next command.

"What is the meaning of this?" the female hissed through her fangs.

In one fell swoop, the man reached into the half-ripped pocket of his worn jeans, and pulled out a heart shaped golden locket with a ruby embedded in the middle. Holding it by it's dense chain, he witnessed his mistress' lips quiver with saddened anguish.

"Leo," The woman directed, "Where did you find that?"

"When I was a boy," Leo replied, "I asked you why you never birthed any children of your own."

"Leo, I-" The female tried to speak.

"You told me it was because you never wanted to dedicate your heart to any one else except me," Leo interjected.

Silence.

"You raised me into the man I am today, madam," Leo continued, holding the necklace still, "You hunted for me, taught me how to fight- to survive! But everyday I knew something was missing for you, something you never wanted to speak of, as if you buried it in the back of your mind. With that, I developed questions of my own about your past, and while you were out one night, I went into the city-"

"You did what?!" Madam snapped, as her gang of savaged beasts snarled behind her.

"I found your old home," Leo replied, "The one you had before you were... turned."

Madam's face grimaced as she listened to her child's words.

"The home you shared with your daughter," Leo challenged.

"Leo you had no ri-"

"Ophelia!" he shouted, "That was her name right?!"

Leo proceeded to pull the locket into the palm of his calloused hand, wiping the dust from the back of it to make out the inscribed message.

"To my darling, Ophelia," Leo read aloud, "My heart is yours forever."

Wicked silence filled the air of the eerie night as those words stung the dead heart of the woman in the moonlight.

"I ask you once more," Madam spoke holding in her emotions, "What is the meaning of this?"

"When the world fell," Leo began, "your daughter fell with it. She was amongst the first slaughtered. I know that even though you took me in as your own, I can never fill that void. Madam, I know you long to see her again, which is why I came to the priest to grant you salvation."

"My salvation?" Madam scoffed.

"Yes," The priest spoke out, "Surrender your fangs to me, and peace may be restored to you. It is possible, I have done many cleansings for your kind."

"No," Madam sharply rejected.

"Listen to me," Leo said, "I'm fifty four years old madam, Ophelia is gone, and soon I will wither away as well. Can you withstand the reality of having to bury both of your children?"

Madam stood, silently contemplating his words.

"Tell me, Leo, the holy ground cannot offer you sanction for a long period of time, and when I'm gone, who will protect you?"

"You won't have to protect me anymore if you-"

"If I what?!"

"If you turn me!"

"My answer is NO!"

"So you are willing to watch your child die, AGAIN?!"

"We'll figure it out when that time comes!"

"No you won't!"

"I SAID NO! THAT IS FINAL!"

The two arguing figures glared at one another with visible rage. One with vast power at the tip of her fingers; the other strategizing to take it from her.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Leo threatened.

"Come to what?" Madam growled.

Leo quickly withdrew a knife from behind his back. He stabbed the weapon deep into the organs of his belly before Madam had the chance to stop him. As he collapsed to the ground, the scent of his blood staining the concrete created a hungry panic amongst the army of monsters.

"LEO!" Madam cried out in a horror.

She ran to his aid, but halted when her feet became emerged in flames from crossing onto the holy grounds that banned her species.

"Leo!" She cried out again, watching in agony as life slowly bled from him.

Feeling helpless, Madam screamed towards the moon. Flashbacks of Ophelia suffering a similar fate played in her mind. The overpowering scent of blood, the labored breathing, the body struggling to maintain, the same fearful look in their eyes knowing the end was upon them, the same feeling of failure that coursed through madam from her inability to protect her child.

"You can save him," The priest shouted to the weeping mother.

"I will not bestow such a wretched curse upon him," Madam hollered.

Clutching at her chest, she felt as if someone had driven a stake through her heart. Her body felt heavy as stone.

Leo falling short of breath upon his back, refused to break eye contact with the one person who could save his life.

"My son!" Madam continued to weep, "Please! Save him! Do something!"

The violent screeches of the army of demons ripped thru the night as the scent of blood sent them into a frenzy.

"ONLY YOU CAN SAVE HIM, DEMON! 'TIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE FOR SALVATION!" The priest angrily responded, "YOUR TIME IS RUNNING OUT!"

The mistress tried to reach for Leo once more, but was only met with a wrathful flame that enguled her hand until she withdrew it.

"Leo!" Madam slowly pleaded, "Please! I'll do anything, anything but that!"

She felt another crack in her heart form, as the sound of her son choking on his own blood rang in her ears.

"Last chance, what will it be?" The priest questioned.

In defeat, Madam fell to her knees.

"Bring him to me," She whispered through the river of tears upon her face.

Rushing to Leo, the priest dragged his half dead body across the unseen border to Madam. Silence fell as the hungry creatures intently observed their mistress's movements. The creatures inched closer to their mistress, obediently waiting for her order to feed upon the humans who were no longer protected.

Tuning out the hunger of the creatures that surrounded her, Madam embraced Leo into her cradled hold and gazed upon him one more time. She caressed his cheek with no care of how his blood now completely covered her. In her hands she could feel Leo's heart slowing.

"I never wanted this for you," Madam comforted, "Please remember that."

Leo felt his mother bring him closer to her. She gently pulled his head back to expose his neck. Leo flinched from the sharp sting of her fangs puncturing his skin.

"Give me salvation priest," Madam cried.

The priest abruptly pulled back her head to expose her now, blood covered fangs. Quickly, the shaken priest pulled out pliers and gripped a fang. Before he could pull, Madam clutched his wrist with a tightening grip followed by a death stare.

"Please, let me help you. There is nothing to fear any longer." the priest whimpered.

Madam released her hold. She allowed the priest to remove her fangs, detaching the essence of her strength, while still holding on to Leo, whose body she could feel changing.

"We have to go," the priest whispered to Madam once he had completed his task.

Suddenly, the well preserved woman felt weak, and now struggled to uphold the weight of Leo's body. The feeling of exhaustion swept over her as her vision began to fade, and her hands slowly started to wrinkle with age. Time haulted within Leo, but only latched itself on to madam to move forward.

No longer being able to wait for a reply, the priest pried Leo's harden body from Madam's clutches, whisked her into his arms, and quickly made their way back to the safety of the holy ground. There, Madam's body did not become engulfed in flames, as the Priest began to speak a prayer over her. The mortal coil of life now slipped away from her just as quickly as it had for Leo only moments ago.

Vengeful growls swirled the air and the monsters crowded around Leo who remained still on the ground.

The priest, focused only on Madam, held tightly onto her.

"Thank you," Madam weakly muffled, before closing her eyes.

Moments passed before silence consumed the night once more.

When the time came, the sea of unwelcomed beasts split open to reveal a being of intimidating height, and a presence that commanded the fear of everything dead and alive in the new world.

"Leo?" The priest called out to the being.

"Did she go peacefully?" The being groaned.

The priest looked down at the lifeless, aged, woman in sorrow.

"She is with her family now," The priest replied.

"Good."

Shortly after Leo's revival, a small slit of radiant orange and yellow broke through the clouds of the moonlight.

"The sun will be rising soon," The priest shouted out to the creatures of the night, "Tis best if you leave now!"

Before moving, the evils of the night looked upon Leo, as he towered over them.

"Priest," Leo nodded coldly.

"Away with you, demon!"

Leo turned his back to Madam, and disappeared into the cold fog. Not long after, in a scurried rush, his minions would follow suit.