I Loved a Murderous Vampire

Julia walks past the town graveyard and stops to look at the grave adorned with vibrant flowers and jewelry left by the family. At ninety-eight years old, Bubba Jenkins was a happy man right until the day he passed.

He used to share such corny and dry jokes, that she couldn’t help but laugh. No, his death wasn’t unexpected or early, but it made her miss him so.

She grins, remembering his welcoming smile at church, the power in his voice singing bible hymns. At such an age when people didn’t leave home anymore, he routinely offered to help her with odd jobs around the house.

Very few of the young men in town did as much for her.

Turning away from the cemetery, she continues down the brick-laden path to Roger Lamore’s house. Julia, a young unmarried woman, considered an old maiden by the village, never took fancy to any of the other men.

All that changed when Roger Lamore came to town.

Walking up a hill, she comes down and the large house appears in view, far bigger than most of the townhomes. Folks say he made his fortune as a banker, others claim he’s a lawyer who ran out of his last town.

Rumors, oh they’re all rumors, she’s certain of it.

Not that she asked him - no there were more interesting things to experience with the mysterious man. Running to his door, she knocks several times, unable to contain her giddiness and the wide grin on her face.

The door opens and he emerges from the room overlayed in shadow. “Hello, darling.” The edges of his lips pulled up in a smile. He wears black dress pants and a nice top, despite seldom stepping outside.

“Roger.” She hurries into his arms and holds him tight. He’s her relief from the nagging of her mother, the non-stop chores and responsibilities, and so much more. This close, she takes in his sweet scent.

He looks down at her and beams. “Tonight, I think it’s time we take the next step.”

“Yes, I think so.” She isn’t exactly sure what he means, but it sounds right - and something is just so mesmerizing about his voice and the way he holds her waist, not too firm, yet not too loose.

They come inside and spend the day together, drinking wine, eating rich, sweet foods, and then her listening to him play Bach on the piano with such grace. When the sun is down and only crumbs are left on their kitchen plates, they lie on the couch and hold each other in their arms.

Her head rests on his chest, and his arms wrap around her body. His smile is kind and his eyes are warm. He’s perfect, Julia thinks.

“Roger,” She clears her throat. “I want you to know that although I’m young and immature, I am committed to you. I’ll go anywhere with you and be a true wife if you’d be so gracious to take me.” She leans in to kiss him, and his lips press against hers.

Afterward, he stares off into the distance at seemingly nothing.

“What’s wrong, Roger? Are my affections not enough?”

“No, that isn’t it.” He pauses for a moment, then looks her in the eye. “There is something I must tell you if you truly mean what you say in your commitment.”

”What is it?” Her eyes widened and her mouth hangs slightly ajar. He hasn’t talked like this before with her.

“Do you promise that you’ll stay true to me always? Will you indeed love me as you would another man?” His tone becomes harsh at the last word.

She sits up a bit and looks at him, puzzled. “I love you more than any man out there. My heart is yours and yours alone.”

He nods slowly, but still, he says nothing.

“Tell me what you have to say. You’re scaring me so.” She folds her arms.

Then Roger opens his mouth and several of his teeth begin to grow out and turn into protruding fangs. His hazel brown eyes fill with a light smoky fog that darkens into pure black spheres. “You must know what I am now, surely. You must have heard the stories around town.”

Staring at him, Julia rises and steps back until pressed against the wall. “Y-you-” Her voice trails. Hushed whispers from the villagers come back to her - of demonic creatures that stalk the night.

“I’m what you might call a vampire or a bloodsucker.” His voice is matter-of-fact. He then presses a hand to his chest. “You may already know this, but for me to exist, I must live off of the blood of man. There is no other way. Despite my flaws, will you still commit to me, Julia?” He extends a hand out to her.

Gazing in disbelief, she can’t bring herself to answer the creature with pitch-black eyes and razor-sharp teeth. This isn’t Rodger. It can’t be him. “Y-you’re a murderer then.”

He frowns and drops his arm at his side.

She glances out the window and sees the vague outlines of the cemetery from afar. Her mind turns to the burial of Bubba Jenkins, how they wouldn’t show the body. Her jaw tightens, and she points a finger at him. “You killed old man, Bubba Jenkins, didn’t you? Didn’t you?” Her voice rises and her hands tremble.

He shows his palms. “I had to. I needed to feed, so I took the life of the oldest in the village. How can you possibly fault me for that?”

“Murderer!” She grabs a vase and throws it at him.

He sidesteps it easily, and it shatters on the floor.

Hot tears stream down her face and she heads for the exit. In a flash, he’s standing between her and the door. Julia pounds on his chest with closed fists, but it’s like hitting a wall, his body suddenly colder. He waits for her to calm down and for the tears to go away. When she takes a seat on the floor, he sits down across from her.

His face is somber, and a firm line is at his jaw beneath his frown. It’s quiet between them for a long while, neither making eye contact, but each shifting their gaze away.

“Julia, please tell me, what makes you think of me as a monster?”

She shrugs. “You’re a killer. You murder sweet old innocent people. Surely a man of your status can understand that.”

“No,” He folds his arms. “I cannot. I didn’t want to hurt the old man, but I needed to eat to live myself. And he had already contracted the flu by then, I showed him mercy.”

She turns and scowls. “Is that your idea of mercy? If I were a vampire, I would never hurt anyone at all. I’d let whatever death befall me come. That’s only the sensible thing to do, you know.”

“Is it now?” He smiles faintly for a moment. “And what are you to cattle? To the cows, people are just savage monsters that devour them at their convenience. Are people so much better than my kind? If you were a pig, you’d likely vow that as a human, you’d never eat pig, but here you are, a woman eating pigs.”

She raises a finger. “Oh, that’s completely different. Animals and people aren’t the same. The Bible says the animals are for us. In Paul-

“The Bible this, the Bible that.” His voice rises and echoes throughout the house. “I can’t take it. Was there ever a more convenient rationale for humans to abuse other creatures? We killed these beasts - that must mean God wanted us to. It’s nonsense! Morality is only ever in favor of humans, why can’t you see that?”

Julia scoots away from him and looks down at her feet in a daze, unsure of where to go or what will happen to her. The world spins before her eyes, yet she dares not move.

“Julia,” His voice is soft once more, and against her better judgment, she looks at him. “I mean no evil or true harm to anyone, especially not you. I simply wish to live. Whatever happens, I will let you out of here - free to live whatever life you wish. But,”

He pauses and takes a deep breath as the darkness in his eyes vanishes along with his fangs. “You said you loved me. You said you’d be with me no matter what. Was that all just a lie, my love?”

She looks at him for a long moment, her hands clutching her skirt. Then she bursts into tears, covers her face, and runs to the door. He steps aside and doesn’t stop her, not even when she loses her shoes to the wind rushing against the dead of night.

“So be it then.” Roger watches her from the window as he downs a whole bottle of wine.

He’s seen it happen before in his many centuries of life, women walking out on him, and witnessed it go the other way as well. Taking a seat in one of his lounge chairs, he stares into the fireplace long into the night.

The sun rises and he sees the line of men approaching his house. It’s finally come to this. There’s well over a dozen of them carrying guns, ready to eliminate him, their creature of darkness.

There’s no back door for him to escape out of. From afar, he sees a few villagers trail behind the soldiers and finds one of them is Julia, standing by her father. His heart bears heavy in his chest, and he forces himself to look away.

Someone bangs on the door.

Slowly, casually, he goes and opens it. Two men stand in his doorway with their guns pointed, their brows furrowed. “Come out here, beast.”

Nodding, he steps out the door and the two soldiers shove him along until he stands on the grass, and they circle him. Clipped onto the ends of each of their guns, are silver bayonets, most of them rusted at the ends.

Roger’s complexion is pale, more pale than usual under the clouded light. Turning to each of his captors, he assesses them one by one. The silver bayonets could surely do him in.

Another stronger vampire could easily rip through the men or even run away, but he only consumes the blood of the old and feeble. It takes its toll. Clenching his hands into fists, he doubts whether he can fight his way through.

The oldest of the men, appearing to be in his twenties, steps forward, his posture rod straight. “You have been found out to be a vampire, a bloodsucker. Realizing this, none of the laws of man demand we give you trial or rights. You will be executed here by bayonet, do you understand? Do not attempt to resist.”

He readies his bayonet, and Roger closes his eyes and tries to transport his mind to somewhere far off, a wish to die in peace. Footsteps pound the grass, and the man rushes at him. Any moment the blade will pierce straight through his heart.

Roger catches the blade with his hand and stares the soldier down. It’s a reflex. The instinct to survive trumps all. He lets go of the bayonet and punches the man in the gut. The soldier moans and crumples to the ground.

The soldiers yell and charge at him, and his eyes turn black, the fangs extending.

He fights them all until not a man stands. Blood splatters and drenches his clothes. The necks of a few of the men remain cracked, punches and kicks that shattered organs leave several dying. Roger’s body is covered in long jagged cuts that go through the clothing and skin.

But it’s not enough for him to die.

He breathes heavily, gasping. Both his arms and legs feel heavy, like dragging led with each motion. In the distance, he can still see Julia looking down at the aftermath of carnage and bloodshed.

Roger’s arms spread out and down at his sides, palms facing. “Is this what you wanted? Can you blame me for just wanting to exist? I loved you, Julia. I used to love you.” The vampire turns his back and walks off into the distance, never to return to the home he once knew.

At first Julia remembers him through the new gravestones left behind, but later from the baby in her belly that’s soon to be born.