The Red Rose

Chapter I

What can I tell you? Seeing Carmilla alive and well took me by surprise. It was a tremendous shock, and I had too many conflicting feelings. "Confront her? After everything we went through?" Several days passed, and I received another message. I told Dad everything; it was very difficult. I really thought that that chapter of my life had ended, but when your mother and your grandparents are hinted to be likely celestial beings, it's clear that your life won't be like that of a normal human. Knowing that I was immortal was a hard blow. Let me tell you how things unfolded.

"Dad, do you remember the girl I met in the past? In the Victorian era?"

"Laura? The one who taught you English?" he asked.

"No... The vampire." I corrected, sighing.

"Ah, Carmilla, from the novel. Talk to me, even if it's difficult. You know I'm with you," he said calmly.

"Do you remember what happened between her and me? And how it turned out?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Um... Do I have to say it? If it's uncomfortable for you..." he asked.

"Just tell me. I want to hear it," I requested.

"The one who got involved with you while you were unconscious and fed on you. She ended up obsessed with you, and you had to kill her."

"Dad," I said. "We fell in love. I couldn't leave her, knowing that her presence endangered others, that my blood was making her volatile and addicted to me. But I couldn't resist, and neither could she. I had to get sick and be on the brink of death. Even then, I had to end it before she hurt more people."

My father thought for a moment and then began, "We all make mistakes, son; it's part of being human. The key is to rectify those mistakes and learn a lesson from them. You shouldn't be self-complacent, but also not too hard on yourself. It's always good to look at things from a third perspective before jumping to conclusions. You tried to rectify your mistake; things didn't go as you wished, but that's life. This will prepare you for what's to come."

I took a pause and said, "She's alive, still alive. I don't know how she did it, but she has found me again, here, in the present."

My father opened his eyes and asked after a pause, "Was she the one who sent you the Wagner CD? 'Ride of the Valkyries' and the space Odyssey track?"

"Yes. Then she called me, wants to meet me. Can you imagine? She probably even got inside the hotel!"

"If she sent that song, she must already know about your abilities. What abilities does she have?" asked my father.

"Very similar to mine, and I suspect she can transform into some kind of cat. Laura told me, and I realized she visited me at the inn in Styria. She was probably the one who attacked the two girls there."

"Ah, the one with the mosquitoes," Papa said. "But they are fine; she must have changed her tactics. In the novel, she would have killed many girls, even traumatized your friend Laura. But in our timeline, there were no more deaths, and Laura was able to age normally, as we saw in the museum."

"But in the original timeline, she was supposed to be killed by General Spielsdorf! By going back to her time and bringing that damn Beast of Gevaudan with me, I gave her a chance, and now she's still alive!" I sighed.

"You had no idea you would end up there, let alone that monster would follow you. Don't torment yourself with ideas that lead nowhere. Are you going to confront her?" he asked.

I sighed again, not knowing what to do. If I don't confront her, she'll surely follow me and try to be bolder, maybe even find my house or hurt my father. But if I confront her, I'm in danger of falling into her web and back into addiction; my blood had made her irresistible.