Rebirth

CH 4: Lessons of the Dark

I was sitting in the darkness of my room, marveling at the fire that was in front of me. I sat there and thought to myself, what would happen if I stuck my hand into the fire. I know that if a normal human did it they would feel a lot of pain and they probably wont ever be able to use there hand ever again. But I dont know what would happen if a vampire did it. I slowly got up from my chair and walked over to the fire place. I kneeled down to the fire and I slowly lifted my hand towards the fire. I started with my index finger and I quickly put my whole hand into the fire. I felt the heat of the fire and I quickly pulled my hand out of the fire. I quickly looked at my hand and saw that it was burned and blistered. I heard a knock at the door; I quickly stood up and put my injured hand into my pocket. I walked over to the door and quickly opened the door. I saw that it was James. Hey James, what can I do for you, I said with curiosity. He looked at me with a blank expression and replied, Master Vincent has requested your presence at his study, I looked at him, wondering what Vincent could want with me. I replied, Ok, lead the way buddy. James slowly turned around and started walking; I quickly closed the door and while James wasnt looking, slowly pulled my hand out. I was amazed at what I saw. My hand was completely healed. Not even a scar. I quickly pulled myself together and hurried to catch up to James. We were silent for a while and I started to get this feeling that James didnt like me all that much, and then it hit me. I wasnt really sensitive to the fact that James was a zombie and that might have embarrassed him in front of everyone. I suddenly stopped and said, Hey James. He stopped and slowly turned around. Is there something wrong sir, he replied. I looked him in the eye and said, I wanted to apologize about earlier, I didnt know you were a zombie and I probably embarrassed you about your smell. He stared at me for a minute with a blank expression on his face and replied, It is ok sir, you dont have to apologize to me. I looked at him with a relieved feeling and said, thank you for accepting my apology. He looked at me for a second and replied, There is no need to thank me sir, you are the master of the house and I am the servant. I am not deserving of your kindness. I was surprised about what he had said. I mean, I couldnt believe he would think of himself in such low regards. Before I had the chance to reply he said, Shall we continue to the study, sir? I answered, Sure, we mustnt keep Vincent waiting. He slowly turned and we continued our journey towards the study. We were silent the whole way there. We turned the corner and suddenly I heard a woman screaming, it wasnt like the sound of someone in fear, which is surprising since we are in a house full of vampires, it sounded as if someone were really mad at another person. We reached the door to the study and I heard the woman yell, Are you out of you mind Vincent?! From what I could tell, she sounded really cross at Vincent. I wondered what he had done to upset her so badly. James looked at me and said, Wait here, sir. I looked at him and gave him a silent nod. He slowly opened the door and went into the study. Then I heard Vincent say in a playfully mocking way, Why Annie, youve called me a lot of things over the centuries but crazy isnt one of them. Then, I heard the women retort, You know what I mean, and dont call me Annie, you blundering fool! From what I could tell, she was really annoyed by Vincent calling her by that name and his tone wasnt helping the matter. Then, I heard her say, did it ever occur to you that maybe his family or his friends might be looking for him?!. It took me no time at all to realize that they were talking about me. I quickly heard Vincent say in a mocking way, Why Annie, are you actually underestimating me. Im shocked?! Suddenly I heard Vincent opening a desk drawer. I slowly moved toward the door and pushed it open just enough so that I could peer inside. I saw Vincent pull out a file and toss it over to the lady. See there? I took care of everything. No one will be looking for him or missing him, I promise. He assured the women. I couldnt believe what I just heard. I didnt know Vincent took care of my disappearance like that. Im going to have to remember to ask him if I could look at that file. Suddenly, I heard James say, Pardon me sir, but Master Demitri is waiting outside. I heard Vincent reply, ah yes, bring him in. Pardon me Annie, but we will have to continue your scolding of me later. Still peering through the gap, I saw the lady quickly turn and start towards the door. She looked like she was in her early thirties with long light brown hair, the color of honey. She was wearing a white flowing skirt, with an emerald green silken button up top and black heels. She was almost to the door when I hastily moved away from it before she walked out of the room, turning to close the door behind her. I noticed her gaze had met mine as she started around to leave, and she froze! Annie looked as if she was in a state of shock like she had seen a ghost or something. I quickly broke the awkward silence and introduced myself, Pardon me, my name is Demitri Venator. As I held out my hand she quickly shrugged off the initial shock and introduced herself, Pleased to meet you, Demitri. My name is Annabelle Grace. You must be the new comer that Vincent adopted into the family. Something struck me oddly about the way she implied that he had adopted me. Excuse me, but what did you mean by he adopted me? She looked a little taken aback by my question. To which she replied, You mean, Vincent hasnt told you yet? Now I was even more confused than she was. Just what in the name of god was going on here?! Tell me what? I said. She looked at me for a minute as if she were contemplating whether or not she should tell me or not. Well, I think I will have to leave that discussion in Vincents hands. I will see you around, Demitri, Annabelle said as she began to walk off. I stood there ten times more confused than ever. Demitri, come on in!, I heard Vincent say. I quickly shrugged it off and started to walk into the study. Vincent stood up from his seat to greet me. He offered me a seat and I sat down. So, how are you feeling this evening? Did you get plenty of rest, he asked. I sat there for a minute and quickly replied, Yes I feel recharged. Vincent looked at me as if he was pleased with my answer. Good, because tonight we start youre training, he said. I was caught between a mix of surprise and mystique and was excited to hear him say that. I wondered what sort of things I could do. I mean, I saw the old vampire movies. But I didnt know if they were really factual or not. Could you really transform or was the whole superstition of solar intolerance true? My mind raced with the possibilities and what ifs. Then, Vincent stood up and announced, Follow me, Demitri. I quickly stood up and obeyed his request to follow him. As we walked outside towards the back of the mansion he stopped right in the middle of the yard. What are we doing outside; I thought we were going start my training? I asked impatiently. He started to laugh a little; I asked him why are you laughing with a confused tone. He settled down and replied, I apologize, you just reminded me of myself when I was young. I was always so impatient. I looked at him for moment, wondering what we were doing out here. Was he just messing with me or is he being serious? He out of nowhere spins around in an exaggerated about-face and said with a clap, Ok, lets get started. You see, as a vampire you will be experiencing a great many new things I quickly stopped him there and said, I am already a step ahead of you. I already know about puberty and that other stuff. I learned about it in school. Vincent just looked at me with an amused look on his face and a raised eyebrow. Did I say something funny? I asked. Oh nothing, I wonder He replied as he walked over to a nearby tree. Did your school ever cover this in their lessons? he asked. Suddenly, he punched the tree so hard that it took a big chunk out of the trunk. I was in total shock; I couldnt believe he just did that. No normal person would be strong enough to do that! I quickly looked up and noticed that Vincent was gone. I quickly looked around and I couldnt see a hair or a toe of Vincent anywhere! And did they cover this in their lesson plans too? Vincent asked slyly from over my shoulder. I quickly looked turned around and there was no hint of Vincent being there just a moment before. No shuffles of feet, no sudden movements, not even the snap of a twig! Then I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I jumped and fell backwards onto the ground. I looked up and saw Vincent standing there before me. How did you disappear and reappear like that?! Vincent laughed and replied, I didnt disappear. I just ran behind you. He said with a mischievously with a grin. I was both amazed and scared, conflicted I suppose. I couldnt believe that he was just running around the yard. Thats impossible wasnt it? Ive never heard of anything like that before. But I guess I should be kicking myself in the butt for being surprised. Vincent is a vampire and vampires are not normal. Vincent offered me a hand and helped me up. I apologize, I sometimes get carried away with showing off, he said while he was brushing me off. I quickly snapped out of it and replied, Its ok. So could I do all that stuff too? he walked over to the tree and said, of course you can or rather could, with time and proper training. And the older you get the faster and stronger you will become too. I was excited to hear that. When I was little, I always dreamt about having super powers, like being a super hero you know? I never imagined that it could actually happen! Would you like to give it a try, he asked. I was both surprised and excited at the same time. I was hesitant at first but then I promptly replied, Sure, Id love to give it a try. I walked over to the other side of the tree with Vincent in tow. I felt Vincent put his hands upon my shoulders. I want you to hit this tree as hard as you can, Demitri, he instructed. I stood there for a second and wondered what if I would hurt myself or what if Im not as strong as Vincent was. I mean after all he was way older than me and a lot more in tune with his abilities than I. Then, without another thought, I quickly raised my fist and hit the tree as hard as I could, I felt a strange surge of energy move from somewhere deep inside of my body. There was a loud crack and the splintering sound of wood breaking. When my eyes began to take in the aftermath I was overcome with awe, I actually did it! I hit the tree so hard that there was a large chunk missing out of it. Just like when Vincent had done it earlier! I turned around and I saw Vincent clapping, you did a good job. I quickly replied in excitement, thank you. I was a little nervous. I didnt think I could do it. He walked over to me and clapped his hand on my shoulder and replied, Nonsense, you did fine. I looked at him and thought to myself. He is such a nice guy. Mind you, Im still a little hesitant to trust him, after all. But he seems to be very genuine. Now, let us continue, shall we? he said as he walked over to a pathway leading off into the forest. I quickly put my thoughts to rest and started to follow him out towards the woods. What are we doing out here? I asked. Vincent turned halfway around and replied, I want to have a little race. I looked at him in confusion and asked, What does this have to do with you teaching me how to be a vampire? He explained, This has everything to do with your training. You see, at the end of this path there is a field with a big hill. I want you to race me there. I was beginning to wonder why he was wanting to race me out there. Was he not taking this seriously or was he just that immature? Ok, I will race you and I will win, I said with a smug attitude. Vincent started to laugh and replied, We will have to see about that, wont we now? Lets get into our running positions He made for a runners pose that was comical. I quickly walked up next to Vincent and got into position as well. I cant believe Im about to have to race Vincent. I feel like a little kid in elementary school! Vincent looked over at me and said, Now, I want you to run as fast as you can and try to keep up. I looked at him and saw how confident he was standing there in his goofy pose. On the surface, I was showing confidence, but I knew somehow he was going to win. I hadnt forgotten just yet how fast he was earlier when he was toying with me. Why he would challenge me to a race he knew I was going to lose was beyond my understanding. Then, he started to say, on your mark, get set, go! We quickly took off at the same time. I was running as fast as I could. But he was too fast, He left me trailing behind in his wake in a whirling blur of dust! I kept on running, suddenly I began to notice something amazing. As I was running, everything around me seemed to be moving very slowly, like a different sense of normal perception. I saw a deer slowly scampering away; I even saw a dragonflys wings slowly flapping as it was flying about! It was as if time itself was slowing down right before my very eyes! Then, it hit me. Time wasnt slowing down; I was just running so fast that time seemed to be in a warped state. I couldnt believe it. I wasnt able to move this fast in high school. But look at me now. This was the coolest thing Ive ever experienced in my life, imagine tryouts next year, Demitri! I quickly snapped out of it and noticed I was almost there. I quickly ran out of the forest and stopped at the base of the hill where Vincent was standing. Vincent looked at me with a smile and said, So, how do you feel? I quickly replied, That was awesome. I didnt know I was capable of running that fast! He looked at me, amazed at my surprise. Im glad to hear it, not only was that race for fun. But it was also to show you how fast you are. The same principle that was applied with the tree was to show you how strong you are, he explained. Now it all was beginning to make sense, he didnt want to race just to mess with me. It was all a part of his teachings to show me how much Ive changed physically since I became a vampire. Now, it is time for your final lesson for the night, follow me. Vincent said as he walked up the hill. We stopped on the top and he said, As a vampire, not only are you physically stronger and faster. Your senses are also heightened as well. I thought to myself what he could mean by that. What do you mean by heightened, I asked him. He walked off to the center of the hill and stated, Come and stand over here. I looked at him for second, wondering what he could be up too. I cautiously walked over to where he was standing and stopped in front of him. Now, closed your eyes, he instructed. I closed my eyes as he asked. Now, I want you to clear your mind and tell me what you hear, he said. It took me a second to clear my mind and open my senses, I began to hear something moving in the underbrush nearby. I told him, I hear something moving in the bushes nearby. Thats good, what else do you hear, he asked. I suddenly heard the buzzing bees that oddly seemed to emanate from within a nearby Birch tree. I think I hear a beehive. I answered. Ok, I want you to open your eyes, he said. I opened my eyes as he asked. Now, I want you to show me where you heard those sounds. I looked at him wondering why he couldnt see them. They were very close. I replied, Cant you see they are coming from right over there?!. I looked over and was shocked to see the moving bush was very far away from where we were. I quickly looked over to where I thought I had heard the bees moving about their busy little hive and was even more shocked to see that not only were they even further away, but I was also surprised at how tiny the bees were! Now, you see what I mean by heightened, he asked. I slowly turned myself into the realization and disbelief that not only am I strong and fast but I can also hear things both tiny and great from a distance! This should be impossible, right? Just what have I become? I quickly regained my composure and asked, What other senses are heightened? To which Vincent replied, Not only is your hearing heightened but you sense of smell and sight are too. I guess that would also explain why Ive been able to see in the dark since I became a vampire. But you must always remember this Demitri. There is more to being a vampire besides just the heighten senses and physical abilities. He said. I quickly asked him, and that is? He answered, Honor. A vampire must always have honor. Without honor, we cannot call ourselves Vampires. I didnt know what to think about that. Id always grown up watching movies about vampires and all the bad stuff they do. I guess Ive got a lot to learn about being a vampire than what all the Hollywood movies were letting on, I laughed and thought to myself. We stood there for a minute in silence and Vincent said in a cheerful voice, Ok, that is enough lessons for one night. Let us go back to the mansion, I am starving something fierce! Mayhap sweet Annie has prepared her special feast again. I quickly looked up and replied, Yeah, I am kind of hungry. We started to walk down the hill to the road, then I just remembered about what Annabelle had said to me. I quickly walked up to Vincent and asked, Hey Vincent, one question if I may?. He looked back at me and replied, What is it? It took me a minute to work up the courage to ask him. But I finally blurted it out, Annabelle said that you adopted me, I must know, what did she mean by that? He looked at me for a while, and from what I could tell he either didnt want to tell me or he didnt know how to. Wait, could it be that he killed my parents. Please god, dont let that be it. I thought. I couldnt handle that loss too. After a long moment he finally answered, You see when a vampire turns someone into one of their own. They are considered their children. I was a little relived by his answer. I thought his hesitation meant he was about to tell me something bad. So, when she said adopted she meant you turning me? I asked. Vincent nodded his head. A feeling of relief just washed over me. I guess I shouldnt jump to conclusions without hearing him out first. Ill have to keep that in mind. Now, are you ready to go home, young Demitri?. I looked at him and replied yes, lets go. We continued on our way up the path through the forest back towards the mansion. I wondered what else he would teach me and what else I would have to discover about myself on my own. But I guess what they say is true. The future is a mystery and tomorrow is a new day.