CHASE

Chapter 2

     Orsmund awoke agonized by the deep pain. He felt engulfed in darkness. Physically, he was paralyzed. His vision cut through the dark. There were wooden boards around it. He found out that they buried him. He started by bumping towards the surface. Easily, he destroyed the boards. The ground invaded the space that overlapped his chest that prevented him from breathing. With fierce fingers he dug into the soil, propelling the body upward. As he unearthed himself, he realized that this effort did not wear him out. When he met air, he saw the individual who attacked him again. He was sitting back cross-legged and leaning on his arms beaming. Then Orsmund understood that he was waiting for him. He looked around at dawn and he thought he dreamed. His senses had never functioned in such detail until that hauntingly black night. It was all so neat.

     "Come!"  Called the enemy.  "Come dress yourself."  He tilted his head to his left side where he spread out the clothes. He always carried them with him.

     Orsmund looked down at his own naked body. There was shock and surprise at being able to withstand freezing temperatures. In fact, it was almost as if there was a protective barrier camouflaged in his skin.

     "Grerft."  He introduced himself.  "I am... we are vampires!"

     The maker informed his latest offspring about the nature of both. About the advantages and disadvantages. How he could create others like himself or destroy. Sunlight was a factor responsible for death or if it ripped out the heart and set it on fire. And most importantly, the food that depended on blood. The current vampire revolted at having been turned into a disgusting and despicable creature. He wanted to tear his master apart. However, when he tried to move, an invisible power greater than his strength forced him to kneel and expose his neck. This represented his surrender. Grerft laughed.

     "You have my blood in your veins! You are connected to me! You are mine! Your freedom submits to me until ordered otherwise! I am fully aware of your whims! I know how you feel! What do you want to do and what do you do! So be a good servant and you will be compensated!"

     "Am I going to become what you exhibited? On that thing?"  He spat the words.

     "One day."  He replied, proud.  "You will expose the vampire in you through experience. It's in a way how you can show off your talent. The power in you. Your good demonic side."  He laughed.  "Don't worry, it takes time, but it's due to your recent human blood. You will learn to turn off emotions!"

     With all this dialogue, over the course of hours, the servant suffered from an atrocious dryness. Grerft flaunted his white teeth along with a long pair of fangs and held up a hand for the cub to follow. He would teach him to chase and hunt and kill. They approached a shack and heard the steady breathing of a lonely young adult a few feet away. It meant he slept. Orsmund felt a rush of heat enveloping and pulling at him. The creator chose to vandalize the property to wake up the boy. This one, he ran to the door with an ax in his hand. Unable to see, he ventured outside. The new vampire sniffed a sweet, addictive scent that exuded through the human's pores. His gums were broken by the fangs. A wild instinct warmed his chest. He wanted to jump on the victim and destroy him. The strength that had previously immobilized him returned. Grerft asked him to be patient and walked towards the peasant. He intended to scare him and drive him away. He accomplished his goal, the faltering sounds of palpitations enticing both predators. It was music to their ears. Grerft's tongue slipped across his upper lip, resisting the urge to chase. He freed Orsmund to act on the first meal. The peasant applied a blow to wound him when he stumbled while fleeing. The vampire felt invincible because it only made a small unpleasant impression on him. With his teeth, he ripped out part of his muscle. Blood spurted. The demon raved at the taste. When the corpse fell pale as chalk, he wished for more. Grerft wouldn't let him. He made it his priority to discipline him.

     Another month passed and Grerft was repressed because Orsmund made it difficult for him to control. In all his existence, he had never known such firmness as to distance him from self-control. So, to confirm what motivated him he bit his offspring and savored his memories. It was the human family.

     "What was that?"  Orsmund hissed, threateningly, huddled in a corner of a cave where they chose to spend the day.

     "I had to know."  Grerft replied casually.

     "Know what?"  His voice was still modified. A diabolical voice.

     The master turned his back on him. As much as he wanted to fight him until he got an answer, he knew he would be overwhelmed and not worth trying. However, he did not see his face and was far from discovering that his master was struggling, hard, to control the domain. If he recognized him or read his expression, he would know how much it was really torturing him. He felt ashamed of himself which was even worse. Well, he represented a human feeling, and it was out of the question because they always saw him as a true vampire. Admirably powerful. Which was included in one of the reasons he chose to stay away from his kind while he sought the firm assurance of his power.

     "Your human family."  He pronounced it in a neutral voice.

     "What about it?"  Orsmund suspected.  "I want you away from them!"  He conveyed hate and disgust.  "If I know..."

     "Insignificant!" He expelled authority.

     He turned, engulfed in the fury that reddened his irises. Upright and confident, he forced his submissive to lower his head to the level of his feet. Despite hearing the snarl of protest, he didn't intend to expose his weakness. He took the opportunity to unload all the frustration that weighed him down. He transported to Orsmund the darkness that surrounded him. Seeing him hushed and writhing in agony he was relieved.

     "You will learn to listen to me!"  The air coming out of his lungs became, superiorly, grave, and gloomy.  "I'll give you the next night to visit them! These insignificant humans."  He smiled mischievously.

     The proximity of the first rays of the sun weakened them. They felt more and more inert. The pair leaned against the rocks forming a "C". A very uncomfortable position for a normal person. They rested with their arms on either side of the trunk. They stretched out their hands, palms facing their thighs. In sequence they died for the daylight hours.