The Vampire Assassin

Chapter 1

          I swim for miles. No challenge for me. During this time, after I have made my daring escape, I have time to think. Thinking is what I do on most days. All I can do. To let my mind run free while my soul stays trapped.

          Eventually I reach land and pull myself out of the water. I can see my breath in front of me, like a white cloud. It's January, the new year. The snow from last year has begun to melt, making way for the new life in the following months. I should be cold, most likely be suffering from hypothermia. I'm not. My wet clothes stick tightly to my body. My long black hair sticks to my face. But I'm not freezing to death, I don't feel anything.

          I look up at the night sky. There are no stars, just clouds. The whole sky has a yellow tint from the snow. It's beautiful and peaceful. I wish I could stay here. Finally, I squeeze the excess water off my robes and continue on my way home.

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          A few hours later, I see it. The dark looming castle in the distance. They know I'm coming. Even from way out here. Well, why keep them waiting?

          I pick up my pace. The castle gets closer and closer. I can see each and every brick that make up the place, my home. Not very inviting but why would we want anyone to come here. It's better that people stay away. We can't be found out.

          As I come up to the entrance, it looks even less inviting. A rotted but sturdy wood door with a rusted handle and knocker. I open it and enter.

          No one is here to greet me. The main hall is quiet, I can't even hear anyone else throughout the castle. Is something going on? I instantly tense up a slowly walk further in. As a creep into the next room, I finally hear a familiar voice.

          "Rosa, there you are we've been worried sick." I look up and see a young but weathered face, I lose the tension in my body. "Sure, you have Nicarus." I respond, in a clear-cut voice.

          He replies, "Where have you been? And why are you all wet?" I stared into his dark red eyes. "I jumped into the river near Skorka." I told him. "Very well and where have you been?"

          I want to roll my eyes, but that would be very out of place for me and very disrespectful. "Like you don't know." I sigh, "I was on that mission you sent me out to do."

           "And...." He presses on. "And the mission was a success. Moshe Gorin is dead." he gives me a warm smile of appreciation, surprisingly not uncommon of him to do towards me. But to me, it's all fake. "Ah good, now go rest." He says and dismisses me.

          I turn and walk away, my wet feet squeaking on the concrete floor as I leave. Down the hall on my left turns into the marble hallway, a lot nicer compared to the stone and concrete. Up ahead I finally see the others. The boys as I like to call them.

          "Hey Rosa your back." One of them said, he is the most recent to join, I don't know his name. A young man I should say, probably about 19, with short cropped brown hair and robes similar to mine. I glance at him, nod and continue on my way.

          I was nearing the dining hall. Every time I walk by I pick up the pace. I constantly have to pass it to reach my room. It's not a place where I want to be. When I get closer to the door I hear noises inside. I decide to take a chance and peek in.

          Inside the room, there were three body's, one man and two women. Three of the boys were bending over them. One of them heard the door creak open and looked over to see me. There was a sadistic look on his face as he smiled at me.

          There was blood on his teeth and blood dripping down his chin onto the concrete floor. I looked back at the body's. Dark, deep red blood trickled from the victims. There was matted blood in the hair and on the clothes. I gasped, holding my breath.

          Immediately, I slammed the door shut and ran the rest of the way to my room. Yanked my door open and slammed it shut behind me.

          Finally, I took a breath and inhaled. I was in my safe room, where I could be myself and keep to myself. But, I inhaled again, someone else has been in here. Those przeklety boys. I quickly undress and peel away my wet robes and step into my white tiled shower. I turn the water on hot but it doesn't matter. No one, in this building could feel the difference. The warm water unfroze my hair and smoothed it back. I stand in the steam a little while longer before I shut the water off and step back out.

          Water is dripping down my body. I bend down to the cupboard under my sink and search. As I reach around I find what I'm looking for and pull it out, a bag of red blood. My mouth begins to water. I sit down on the tile floor and bite into it, drinking it.

          We've all heard those stories about creatures of the night. About those that prey on people and when they are found it seems as though the blood has been drained out of them. I am one of those creatures. A vampire.

          I was 18 when Nicarus changed me. He came up to me, on a dark and stormy night. He was going to kill me, I wish he had. But instead he felt something, I'm not sure what, I decided to make me. To have me as his own. Made me join his cause and what he stands for. Of course, as my new mentor and only companion of this new life, how could I refuse?

          It's now been 11 years. However, in defiance of this cursed life, I refuse to drink the blood from humans. I don't like seeing the life drain from their eyes as I feast. It makes me feel more like a monster than I already am. I prefer the safe method and drink either from a cup or a pre-made bag. But the rest of the vampires in this building drink the blood directly from humans. It's fun for them, like a sport. It is also more potent too, gives you a little buzz afterwards.

          After I empty the bag and throw it out, I move back to my main room to put some dry clothes on. I grab a hanger and pick up my wet robes to dry, my outfit, my identity: Assassins robes.

          Not only am I a natural killer but I am a trained killer. I was the first assassin apprentice. Nicarus, my master taught me everything her knew. I am also second in command, meaning no one messes with me. The only thing that sets me apart from the others is that I am a girl but also our eyes. Everyone's eyes except mine are a dark red. Mine are lighter. I do drink human blood but I am also picky about it.

          I don't drink from my kills. It's bad enough to drink the blood from an innocent but to drink from someone who has done terrible things...

          I believe, no I am sure that when you drink the blood from someone who has done unspeakable things, then you yourself will turn bad. I kill people, but only the bad ones, the people who need to be stopped. The person I just killed late last night was bad. He promoted terrible things and needed to be silenced. I didn't drink his blood. I gave him a swift kill and ran off.

          My brotherhood as it is called, does and will drink the blood of anyone and everyone. They would just kill their target by drinking them. To me, they constantly seem to be on edge and pick fights with each other, any one of us vampires. But not me.

          I go to my window and look out. Its dawn now. The sun is just rising from over the hill. There's a field with cows grazing and sheep walking in circles, unsure of what to do. I sniff the air. Mmmmm the smell of Poland has a sweet scent. Poland is my home. This castle, this life is my home now. This is how I live. And it will never change.